L'Ange de la révolte : Satan dans les arts au XIXe siècle

Exhibition at the Musée Thomas Henry, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, 26 June – 8 November 2026

A feared biblical figure, a terrifying demon of the Middle Ages, a Gothic tempter or a modern symbol of rebellion: Satan runs through the history of art as a mirror of human concerns. In the 19th century, at a time when European societies were undergoing transformation and religious certainties were being called into question, the devil took on a new guise: he became a fallen angel, a romantic anti-hero, the embodiment of freedom, melancholy and human passions.

Through more than a hundred works – paintings, drawings, sculptures and engravings – this exhibition catalogue traces this major metamorphosis. From William Blake to Félicien Rops, from Delacroix to Odilon Redon, it reveals how artists shaped a complex figure, by turns sublime, political, sensual, introspective and metaphysical. Richly illustrated, the book reveals how, in the 19th century, Satan became the projection of the modern artist, rebelling against the norms and dogmas of his time.