Portait de Alexandre Cabanel 1865

Jean-Baptiste Adolphe Lafosse made this portrait of Alexandre Cabanel in 1865. It gives us insight into the artistic circles of mid-19th century France. Cabanel was a prominent academic painter, known for his classical and historical subjects. Lafosse's print captures Cabanel's likeness, but it also speaks to the institutional structures that shaped the art world at the time. In France, the Academy of Fine Arts and the École des Beaux-Arts held considerable power, dictating artistic standards and career paths. Cabanel, as a successful academic painter, embodied these institutions. The print might be seen as a reflection of Cabanel's status within that system. Was the print commissioned by Cabanel himself? What was the relationship between the sitter and the artist? To understand this work better, we need to delve into the archives of the French Academy, the exhibition records of the Salon, and the biographies of both artists to fully understand this artwork.