ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Satan's Metamorphosis from Monster to Dandy Explored in Cherbourg Exhibition

exhibition · 2026-07-16

The Musée Thomas-Henry in Cherbourg is currently showcasing 'L'Ange de la Révolte. Satan dans les arts au XIXe siècle', an exhibition that examines the transformation of Satan in 19th-century art through more than 60 pieces, available until November 8. Curated by Paul Guermond and Louise Hallet, the display features Jean-Jacques Feuchère's bronze 'Satan' from 1833. It opens with medieval representations, including a 16th-century portal from the Louvre. The exhibition delves into the late 18th-century shift influenced by Lewis's 'The Monk' and Goethe's 'Faust'. Notable works include Cabanel's 'Fallen Angel' from 1847, culminating with Briton Rivière's 'The Temptation in the Desert', exploring Satan as a figure of defiance.

Key facts

  • Exhibition 'L'Ange de la Révolte. Satan dans les arts au XIXe siècle' at Musée Thomas-Henry, Cherbourg, until November 8.
  • First exhibition to explore Satan's evolution in 19th-century art, with over 60 works.
  • Curated by Louise Hallet and Paul Guermond.
  • Inspired by Jean-Jacques Feuchère's 1833 bronze 'Satan'.
  • Features works by Delacroix, Scheffer, Cabanel, Blake, Doré, Redon, Moreau, Rops, and others.
  • Cabanel's 'Fallen Angel' (1847) from Musée Fabre, Montpellier, is a centerpiece.
  • Includes illustrations for Victor Hugo's 'La Fin de Satan' by Laurens, Rochegrosse, and Bernard.
  • Concludes with Briton Rivière's 'The Temptation in the Desert' (no visible devil).

Entities

Artists

  • Jean-Jacques Feuchère
  • Eugène Delacroix
  • Ary Scheffer
  • Alexandre Cabanel
  • William Blake
  • Gustave Doré
  • Odilon Redon
  • Gustave Moreau
  • Félicien Rops
  • Georges Achille-Fould
  • Jean-Paul Laurens
  • Georges-Antoine Rochegrosse
  • Émile Bernard
  • Briton Rivière
  • Charles Le Brun
  • Antoine Rivalz
  • Matthew Gregory Lewis
  • John Milton
  • Victor Hugo
  • Chateaubriand
  • Goethe
  • Baudelaire
  • Arnold Böcklin
  • Carlos Schwabe
  • Lucien-Victor Guirand de Scévola
  • Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer
  • Edgard Maxence
  • Johann Heinrich Füssli
  • Jacopo Vignali
  • Charles Baudelaire
  • Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Institutions

  • Musée Thomas-Henry
  • Louvre
  • Musée Fabre
  • Bibliothèque-musée Inguimbertine
  • Villa Médicis
  • Maisons de Victor Hugo
  • Musée des Augustins
  • Musée du monastère royal de Brou
  • Musée du Dessin et de l'Estampe originale
  • Connaissance des Arts
  • Musée Fabre de Montpellier
  • Petit Palais
  • Musée Félicien Rops
  • Musées du Mans
  • Musée Thomas Henry
  • Beaux Arts

Locations

  • Cherbourg
  • France
  • Paris
  • Versailles
  • Montpellier
  • Carpentras
  • Rome
  • Italy
  • Jersey
  • Bourg-en-Bresse
  • Toulouse
  • Gravelines
  • Cherbourg-en-Cotentin
  • Le Mans
  • England
  • Florence
  • Normandy

Sources