Fabiola
after 1854
Jean-Jacques Henner was practically obsessed with redheads, and this haunting portrait is the ultimate proof of his fixation. He depicts Fabiola, a Roman noblewoman and early Christian saint inspired by a wildly popular novel of the time, emerging from a pitch-black void. Her fiery hair frames a pale, melancholic face that seems to glow in the darkness, utilizing a dramatic lighting style called chiaroscuro. This moody interpretation captured the public's imagination so well that it became a defining image of the 'tragic redhead' in 19th-century academic art.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
Views: 2