Oil Portrait On Canvas Inspired By Albaydé By Cabanel, Signed Darmont, 78x68 Cm, 20th Century

Oil portrait on canvas inspired by Albaydé by Cabanel, signed Darmont, 78x68 cm.

A tragic heroine of Victor Hugo's *Les Orientales*, Albaydé is a 15-year-old girl who meets a tragic end in a patriarchal and slave-owning society, here depicted as a slave imprisoned in a harem. Cabanel's original 1848 work favored a meticulous rendering where Albaydé's blank expression and sickly pallor evoke fallen love and corrupted youth. Like a post-mortem photograph, Albaydé is presented dead, yet with the vibrant allure of her lost beauty and innocence. In death, she has become immortal, silent, yet she still has much to say.

Like a Greek goddess, she gazes down at us, mere mortals, compelling us to wonder and emotion as we look upon her. A true symbol of a life stolen by the lust and perversion of men, Albaydé is no longer just another Odalisque, but a powerful symbol of the feminist struggle in the 19th century.

Darmont, a 20th-century painter, adopted the conventions of the original work: the background scene, the pose—everything is faithful to the original except for the face. This was likely a deliberate choice on his part, painting a face more in line with 20th-century aesthetics, a reflection of the artist's knowledge, or a necessary modification to avoid his work being mistaken for a copy? The mystery surrounding this painting is what gives it its unique beauty and finesse.

Lovers of feminist works and oil paintings on canvas depicting women and Odalisques, don't wait any longer! Treat yourself to this museum-quality piece without delay!

Dimensions
→ Total H x W x D: 78 x 68 x 3 cm
→ Canvas H x W: 60 x 51 cm → Weight: 3 kg