Which painting by Alexandre Cabanel do you like better.
By Rhonda S.
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
United States
November 29, 2017 2:13pm CST
Alexandre Cabanel was a French artist in the 19th century.
His specialized in Academic art.
I read the explanation of Academic art on several sites, and I still can't explain what Academic art is.
Thankfully, we don't need to thoroughly understand something to like it.
There are two of his paintings that are my favorites:
A: The Sword Bearing Page--painted in 1881.
B: Ophelia, from Hamlet, painted in 1883.
I can't make up my mind which one is my favorite.
Which one do you prefer?
Both paintings, in the picture, are from Wikimedia and are available for use through public domain. {{PD-1923}} – published anywhere before 1923 and public domain in the U.S.
Thankfully, we don't need to thoroughly understand something to like it.
There are two of his paintings that are my favorites:
A: The Sword Bearing Page--painted in 1881.
B: Ophelia, from Hamlet, painted in 1883.
I can't make up my mind which one is my favorite.
Which one do you prefer?
Both paintings, in the picture, are from Wikimedia and are available for use through public domain. {{PD-1923}} – published anywhere before 1923 and public domain in the U.S.9 people like this
9 responses
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
29 Nov 17
Ophelia because she looks langorous perhaps waiting for a lover.
3 people like this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
29 Nov 17
I agree, he made this painting so hopeful, it makes me believe she will change her mind, instead of the sad event that happens.
3 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
29 Nov 17
@MALUSE I am interpreting the painting without bias by Shakespeare. I am gazing upon the image on its merit not as a representation from Hamlet.
2 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
29 Nov 17
@MALUSE I am interpreting the painting on my own thoughts without thinking it has to be Shakespeare or what the painter may have intended. It is a crime how I view this painting because I am obeying the character of Ophelia from the play?
1 person likes this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
29 Nov 17
I think it's a teenage boy, but I agree that Ophelia is very graceful.
1 person likes this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
29 Nov 17
@Frenzys9 Skylar thought it was a girl, also.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (182777)
• United States
29 Nov 17
I am going to go with the Sword Bearing Page. I like the vivid colors.
2 people like this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
29 Nov 17
I like this one also. He looks so sweet, I wonder if anyone was sweet in the middle ages, even at an early age?
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
29 Nov 17
I wonder why you have chosen two of the rare paintings of Cabanel in private collections. You want to buy one
? I really do not like academic art. The page looks like a disguised Parisian kid, Ophelia has an unlikely pose... Characteristic of Cabanel's paintings.
? I really do not like academic art. The page looks like a disguised Parisian kid, Ophelia has an unlikely pose... Characteristic of Cabanel's paintings.1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
29 Nov 17
@misunderstood_zombie You do not need to be extremely rich to buy this. His paintings were cheap two decades ago, and you can still get many for less than $5000. You do not prefer a painter like Manet, from the same period ?
1 person likes this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
29 Nov 17
Nope, don't want to buy one (maybe if I was extremely rich ). I just like them, even though they are in private collections, thank goodness the paintings can be looked at and used online (public domain).
I like most art, and these two are my favorite of his. The kid is rather sweet, and was probably a Parisian kid.
). I just like them, even though they are in private collections, thank goodness the paintings can be looked at and used online (public domain).
I like most art, and these two are my favorite of his. The kid is rather sweet, and was probably a Parisian kid.2 people like this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
29 Nov 17
@topffer I do love love Impressionistic paintings--they're my favorite, but I thought I would go through a lot of paintings I like, and paintings have to be really bad for me not to like them.
Some of his paintings are really expensive though, one sold at Christie's for 400,000 dollars. ( l was going to pretend that I knew this information, but I actually looked it up.)
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342480)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Nov 17
@misunderstood_zombie Until I read 'page' I thought it was a girl too but it seemed strange that 'she' had a sword.
2 people like this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
30 Nov 17
My daughter and granddaughter thought the page was a woman, but I thought it was a teenage boy. His hair reminds me of styles from the 70' or 80's.
2 people like this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
19 Aug 18
@misunderstood_zombie
I also cannot tell which one I like the best.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
20 Jun 21
@misunderstood_zombie
If hard to choose good to say you like them both. I still am not sure which one I would choose so saying liking both is very good way to look at it.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
30 Nov 17
i think most of us are that way, we just like something, we take it at face value, it evokes something within us.
it makes me wonder, though, do the artists get offended when their pieces aren't perceived the way they intended?
1 person likes this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
30 Nov 17
I don't know. That's a great question, and I would assume they would love for art to bring up our own stories and feelings. It makes me wonder, also.
1 person likes this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
29 Nov 17
I feel the same way. The boy looks so innocent and I feel Ophelia is having second thoughts.
1 person likes this
