So Nailed it! First thought I had was politics and unrest. You took it all the way home. Interesting point about literal art and story telling. The alignment with the anime-manga generation is astute. Picking up the Good Omens affinity (I ended up bingeing it when I broke my foot this last year. Better than I anticipated but also because, if I am honest with myself, I thought we were out of this mess— quite the opposite) brings it to its macabre Beetlejuice climax. This is not over yet. We need the Blake of our next generation. This is most likely the kind of art that will encourage whom ever they may be.
I've been working on a piece about the Paris Salon and loved your analysis. Didn't realize The Fallen Angel had become a thing, but in an age when all the gray area is under attack, it makes sense.
What an excellent analysis, Rebecca! I wasn’t familiar with this work, but agree with the above comment that this is a relatively easy picture to understand vs more modern art.💕
Great analysis! I also wonder if the painting has become so popular on social media recently because of how attractively Lucifer is depicted. We can only see half his face, but he has many of the modernly popular features — the almond ‘cat’ eyes, the defined brow, the curls — that are also trending in makeup/beauty looks online. While the emotion in his face is, to me, what makes the painting, I don’t think it would have been nearly as popular currently if he had been painted as unconventionally attractive (by modern standards).
Very interesting. In Spanish-speaking countries, the cover of the book “Our Share of Night” (“Nuestra parte de noche”) by Mariana Enríquez had the close up of Satan’s face from that painting and made a big impression in 2019, when it was published.
Same in France (so probably in other countries too)! This is where I know the painting from :). Such a great book, I think it has been successful in France too.
My guess is that the popularity of the fallen angel isn't related to popular discontent, or at least the analysis here hasn't convinced me.
My guess is that more modern styles of art require more context to be interesting, and are less obviously visually appealing, than the art from the early 19th century. My guess is that the art from that period that would be become popular is much more likely to be art that depicts relatively obvious human emotion, rather than classical or biblical scenes that modern audiences typically don't have the context to find engaging.
It's of course plausible that the specific choice of lucifer is related to popular discontent, but like to convince me of this you'd have to show me that this kind of subject of art becomes differentially more popular at times of unusual popular discontent - I don't really think that that describes 2018-2019 in the US, compared to say 2008-2010, the 1963-68, or 1973-76, or of course the earlier tragedies of the 20th century.
Anacadonatally, I've seen that painting labelled as Achillies after the death of Petroclus, which suggests to me that it's the visual character of the painting rather than the context of the subject that's primarily contributed to it's popularity (although this just anacadote.)
Hey, Rebecca! I think the reemergence of this specific painting and its obsessive presence online can actually be attributed to something far more superficial…
That, as we continue to bask in our increasing decadence, a number of tropes have risen, predicated on a new aesthetic anxiety—the self. I do not think it’s coincidental that this painting has become popularized at the exact same time the whole “looksmaxer” movement has formed. This movement, characterized by endless self-depreciation in the face of hyper-disseminated aesthetic ideals—a need to conform to the look of Adonis, the “hunter eye,” and the tired/distraught reddened eyes and bags—utilizes this painting to legitimize their own views. Lucifer, here, represents, to them, a timeless image of beauty which conforms to all of their prerequisites of what a beautiful male should look like.
While I wish it was something as societally meta as what you describe, shouldn’t it be clear that influencers don’t have this level of analytical depth? That it is more like birds drawn to shiny objects?
Nah, I have to stop you right there. Those of us who’ve been on Tumblr since its launch know this painting (along with others) was a hit there first. It was on “brand” with all the artsy outcast teenagers who felt “betrayed” by the system and felt that no matter how hard they tried to be “good” and “normal” they couldn’t fit in and they seemed to always ruin everything. It slowly made its way to Facebook, especially artsy pages, then Instagram and only after all of this, TikTok and whatever trends you’ve mentioned came to fruition. The Tumblr part is the foundation and the symbolism that it had there is what made it spread.
I don’t know if this was the intent, but it reminds me of Anakin Skywalker from Revenge of the Sith as he is ruminating in the Temple, seeming to feel Padme from across the city prior to him rescuing Palpatine, and eventually becoming his student.
Great painting, great analysis.
Thank you! 🤩
So Nailed it! First thought I had was politics and unrest. You took it all the way home. Interesting point about literal art and story telling. The alignment with the anime-manga generation is astute. Picking up the Good Omens affinity (I ended up bingeing it when I broke my foot this last year. Better than I anticipated but also because, if I am honest with myself, I thought we were out of this mess— quite the opposite) brings it to its macabre Beetlejuice climax. This is not over yet. We need the Blake of our next generation. This is most likely the kind of art that will encourage whom ever they may be.
Probably my favourite comment I’ve ever recieved, thank you. I’m also waiting on the Blake of our generation. I’d like to meet them 😂
I've been working on a piece about the Paris Salon and loved your analysis. Didn't realize The Fallen Angel had become a thing, but in an age when all the gray area is under attack, it makes sense.
What an excellent analysis, Rebecca! I wasn’t familiar with this work, but agree with the above comment that this is a relatively easy picture to understand vs more modern art.💕
The dark side of the force, so narcotic an image that it has got something to do with addiction. Even imagery can have that sort of appeal.
Excellent exploration! I feel smarter today;).
Excellent analysis - thank you for writing this!
Great analysis! I also wonder if the painting has become so popular on social media recently because of how attractively Lucifer is depicted. We can only see half his face, but he has many of the modernly popular features — the almond ‘cat’ eyes, the defined brow, the curls — that are also trending in makeup/beauty looks online. While the emotion in his face is, to me, what makes the painting, I don’t think it would have been nearly as popular currently if he had been painted as unconventionally attractive (by modern standards).
Very interesting. In Spanish-speaking countries, the cover of the book “Our Share of Night” (“Nuestra parte de noche”) by Mariana Enríquez had the close up of Satan’s face from that painting and made a big impression in 2019, when it was published.
Same in France (so probably in other countries too)! This is where I know the painting from :). Such a great book, I think it has been successful in France too.
Thanks, I didn’t know that! It’s a great great book.
My guess is that the popularity of the fallen angel isn't related to popular discontent, or at least the analysis here hasn't convinced me.
My guess is that more modern styles of art require more context to be interesting, and are less obviously visually appealing, than the art from the early 19th century. My guess is that the art from that period that would be become popular is much more likely to be art that depicts relatively obvious human emotion, rather than classical or biblical scenes that modern audiences typically don't have the context to find engaging.
It's of course plausible that the specific choice of lucifer is related to popular discontent, but like to convince me of this you'd have to show me that this kind of subject of art becomes differentially more popular at times of unusual popular discontent - I don't really think that that describes 2018-2019 in the US, compared to say 2008-2010, the 1963-68, or 1973-76, or of course the earlier tragedies of the 20th century.
Anacadonatally, I've seen that painting labelled as Achillies after the death of Petroclus, which suggests to me that it's the visual character of the painting rather than the context of the subject that's primarily contributed to it's popularity (although this just anacadote.)
Hey, Rebecca! I think the reemergence of this specific painting and its obsessive presence online can actually be attributed to something far more superficial…
That, as we continue to bask in our increasing decadence, a number of tropes have risen, predicated on a new aesthetic anxiety—the self. I do not think it’s coincidental that this painting has become popularized at the exact same time the whole “looksmaxer” movement has formed. This movement, characterized by endless self-depreciation in the face of hyper-disseminated aesthetic ideals—a need to conform to the look of Adonis, the “hunter eye,” and the tired/distraught reddened eyes and bags—utilizes this painting to legitimize their own views. Lucifer, here, represents, to them, a timeless image of beauty which conforms to all of their prerequisites of what a beautiful male should look like.
While I wish it was something as societally meta as what you describe, shouldn’t it be clear that influencers don’t have this level of analytical depth? That it is more like birds drawn to shiny objects?
Nah, I have to stop you right there. Those of us who’ve been on Tumblr since its launch know this painting (along with others) was a hit there first. It was on “brand” with all the artsy outcast teenagers who felt “betrayed” by the system and felt that no matter how hard they tried to be “good” and “normal” they couldn’t fit in and they seemed to always ruin everything. It slowly made its way to Facebook, especially artsy pages, then Instagram and only after all of this, TikTok and whatever trends you’ve mentioned came to fruition. The Tumblr part is the foundation and the symbolism that it had there is what made it spread.
Amazing. I love this topic.
Not only is this well written but well researched and engaging. I love this post! I can’t believe it took me so long to sit down and read it.
I don’t know if this was the intent, but it reminds me of Anakin Skywalker from Revenge of the Sith as he is ruminating in the Temple, seeming to feel Padme from across the city prior to him rescuing Palpatine, and eventually becoming his student.
an amazing exploration I would say, thanks for sharing!