Similar to a painting the artist exhibited at the Salon of 1864, The Dead Christ with Angels is Manet's largest etching and exists in only a few impressions. The print accurately translates the realism of Christ's fleshy body, an effect that prompted critics of the painting to complain that the figure was vulgar. As with lithography, Manet used etching in a new, expressive manner, and varied marks were used to delineate the subject. While short lines conform to the muscular body's curves, a dense network of parallel lines describes the feathers of the angels' wings. In the lighted areas at the top of the image, there are also a few bold, crudely crosshatched lines.