Fall of the Rebel Angels c. 18th century

Editor: This is Nicolas Le Sueur's "Fall of the Rebel Angels," a drawing, and the figures feel so dynamic! What can you tell me about it? Curator: Considering the materiality, look at the labor involved in creating this image and how the artist represents a hierarchy through the medium itself. The angel is sketched with clarity, but consider the fallen rebels—are they depicted with the same care? Editor: Not really, they seem more like masses than individuals. Curator: Exactly. This reflects a deliberate choice about how labor is valued and represented. How does this connect to the consumption of religious art at the time? Editor: I guess patrons wanted to see the triumph, not the messy details of the defeated. That’s a different way to look at it. Curator: Precisely. Thinking about process and materials helps us understand the social context.