Artwork
Echo
Echo is an oil painting by Alexandre Cabanel. It dates from 1874 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Cabanel renders the figure in idealized classical form, drawing on academic conventions to explore themes of transience and the ethereal qualities of nature.
The painting depicts a nude nymph echoing the mythological figure from Ovid's Metamorphoses, embodying the fleeting nature of sound and the pursuit of unrequited desire. Cabanel renders the figure in idealized classical form, drawing on academic conventions to explore themes of transience and the ethereal qualities of nature. The work reflects 19th-century fascination with mythological subjects infused with sensuality and poetic symbolism.
The painting measures 97.8 centimeters by 66.7 centimeters and was created in 1874 using oil paint on canvas.
Technique & Style
Echo is an oil painting executed on canvas by Alexandre Cabanel in 1874. The work depicts a nude nymph and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its physical format is a vertical canvas measuring 97.8 cm in height by 66.7 cm in width.
Stylistically, the painting belongs to Cabanel's well-known academic manner, characterized by smooth, polished brushwork and a refined treatment of the female nude, consistent with his Salon-era practice.
History & Provenance
Alexandre Cabanel created the oil painting Echo in 1874. The work was executed on canvas and depicts a nude nymph. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Specific details regarding the original commission, the identity of the initial patron, or the precise chain of ownership prior to its arrival at the museum are not provided in the available records. The painting measures 97.8 cm in height and 66.7 cm in width.
Echo, painted by Alexandre Cabanel in 1874, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work is catalogued as an oil painting on canvas measuring 97.8 cm in height by 66.7 cm in width.
No specific accession number or exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Created in 1874, Echo is an oil painting by French academic artist Alexandre Cabanel. The work portrays a solitary nude figure seated on a rocky ledge, rendered with the polished finish characteristic of 19th‑century academic painting. It is part of the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Context
The painting belongs to a broader 19th‑century fascination with classical mythology, where artists used ancient subjects to explore contemporary ideas of beauty, emotion, and the human form. Cabanel’s choice of a solitary, listening nymph reflects the period’s interest in psychological nuance within idealized, historically rooted narratives.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Alexandre Cabanel (French:; 28 September 1823 – 23 January 1889) was a French painter.
