Understanding The Fallen Angel

Alexandre Cabanel dared to paint Lucifer like no one had before. With a slender body reminiscent of a Greek god, filled with rage, and shedding a tear from his eyes. Humiliated, defeated, and possibly thirsting for revenge, this figure has become one of the most iconic images in art today... But why did Cabanel portray him this way? What inspired him to create such a masterpiece?