Alexandre Cabanel

Alexandre Cabanel was the absolute titan of 19th-century French Academic painting, the preferred artist of Napoleon III and a master of historical and mythological scenes. His works, like the famous "Birth of Venus," are the epitome of slick, technical perfection, with skin so smooth it seems buffed by the gods themselves. While the burgeoning Impressionists were being rejected from the prestigious Paris Salon, Cabanel was essentially the head judge. Rumor has it he once spent three days perfecting the sheen on a single grape in a still life, declaring it the "most important fruit in France." It’s also whispered that he claimed his "Fallen Angel" was a self-portrait capturing his mood after a critic called his work merely "competent." While these tales are likely apocryphal, they paint a picture of a man dedicated to tradition and exquisite, unblemished beauty.