Paradise and the Peri (Opening), first plate 1884

Henri Fantin-Latour created this lithograph titled "Paradise and the Peri" using ink on paper. Fantin-Latour was working in a 19th-century French society that was rapidly changing, where social and political norms were constantly being negotiated. His position as a male artist provided him certain privileges, yet he also engaged with themes of longing and the search for redemption in his art. "Paradise and the Peri" portrays a scene from Thomas Moore’s poem of the same name, depicting a Peri, a fallen angel in Persian mythology, seeking re-entry into paradise. The artist's choice to represent this narrative is thought-provoking. As the Peri gazes up at the angel, there's a sense of yearning, of being caught between worlds. Fantin-Latour may have been using the Peri’s journey as a means to explore the notions of exclusion, desire, and the challenging path to regaining grace, reflecting the complexities of the society in which he lived and worked. Consider how Fantin-Latour uses light and shadow, allowing us to feel the Peri’s emotional state in the image. The lithograph captures a moment of intense emotion, tinged with a sense of hope.