The Fall of the Rebel Angels

Domenico Beccafumi painted this Fall of the Rebel Angels around 1524, depicting the war in heaven with characteristic Sienese inventiveness. Beccafumi's dramatic interpretation of the angelic battle exploits his mastery of light and shadow to create a visionary scene of cosmic conflict. The 1520s were a decade of transition, marked by the deaths of Raphael and Leonardo, the shock of the Reformation, and the beginnings of Mannerist experimentation.

The panel showcases Beccafumi's dramatic chiaroscuro with luminous falling angels contrasted against deep shadow, creating a visionary composition of extraordinary atmospheric power.