The Fall of the Rebel Angels
1605
From the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst
The Fall of the Rebel Angels is a 1605 by Unknown, a Baroque work, held at Statens Museum for Kunst.
This painting shows a chaotic battle in the sky. Angels with wings float above, dressed in flowing robes and armor. Below them, fallen figures with muscular bodies twist in pain, some reaching up as if begging for help. The colors are bold—bright whites and blues for the angels, deep reds and browns for the fallen. Smoke swirls around the bottom, making the scene feel dramatic and urgent. Notice how the light hits the angels’ faces while the fallen figures stay in shadow. This contrast makes the angels look powerful and the fallen seem weak. Try looking up chiaroscuro to see how this lighting trick works.
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