Origins & Early Life

Alexandre Cabanel (French: [alɛksɑ̃dʁ(ə) kabanɛl]; 28 September 1823 – 23 January 1889) was a French painter. He painted historical, classical and religious subjects in the academic style. He was also well known as a portrait painter. He was Napoleon III's preferred painter and, with Gérôme and Meissonier, was one of "the three most successful artists of the Second Empire." Cabanel was the son of a modest carpenter, and he began his apprenticeship at the Montpellier School of Fine Arts in the class of Charles Matet, curator of the Musée Fabre.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Equipped with a scholarship, he moved to Paris in 1839. Cabanel entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris at the age of seventeen, in 1840, where he studied with François-Édouard Picot. After two failures, with the paintings Cincinnatus receiving the ambassadors of Rome, in 1843, and Christ in the Garden of Olives, in 1844, he won the Prix de Rome scholarship, in 1845 at the age of 22. He would be a resident of the Villa Medici until 1850. Cabanel was both a history painter and a genre painter, and he evolved over the years towards romantic themes, like Albaydé (1848), inspired by Les Orientales, by Victor Hugo (1829).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He received...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alfred Russel Wallace — Contemporary (Born in 1823) (1823): Naturalist and explorer who independently conceived the theory of evolution.
• Ann Radcliffe — Contemporary (Died in 1823) (1823): Pioneering English novelist celebrated for developing the Gothic genre.
• David Ricardo — Contemporary (Died in 1823) (1823): Influential classical economist known for free trade and comparative advantage theory.
• Anna Akhmatova — Contemporary (Born in 1889) (1889): A seminal Russian poet whose work chronicled the trauma of the Soviet era.
• Anne Lee Guinness — Contemporary (Died in 1889) (1889): Irish philanthropist known for establishing nursing homes and supporting the poor in Dublin.
• António de Oliveira Salazar — Contemporary (Born in 1889) (1889): Portuguese academic and economist who established the authoritarian Estado Novo regime.
• Ben E. King — Shared historical date (09-28 · Born) (1938): Iconic American soul and R&B singer, celebrated for group hits and solo anthems.
• Bhagat Singh — Shared historical date (09-28 · Born) (1907): Iconic Indian revolutionary whose martyrdom inspired anti-colonial fervor.
• Abraham ibn Ezra — Shared historical date (01-23 · Died) (1167): Distinguished 12th-century Sephardic rabbi, philosopher, and biblical commentator.
• Anna Pavlova — Shared historical date (01-23 · Died) (1931): Iconic Russian prima ballerina, famed for 'The Dying Swan' and global tours.
• 1823 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1823
• September 28 (09-28) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on September 28
• 1889 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1889
• January 23 (01-23) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on January 23