Phaedra
1880
Alexandre Cabanel brings Greek tragedy to life in this dramatic 1880 scene, capturing the mythological queen Phèdre in a moment of agonizing lovesickness. Reclining on an ornate bed, she looks utterly exhausted, while a servant sleeps peacefully at her feet and a concerned soldier watches from the side. As a master of the Academic style, Cabanel was famous for his incredibly smooth, polished surfaces and dramatic historical subjects that often bordered on the scandalous for their time. It's a perfect snapshot of a woman consumed by a forbidden passion that would eventually lead to total ruin!
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