The Fall of Icarus, from The Temple of the Muses
1733 (1754 edition)
18th Century
13 3/4 x 10 in. (34.9 x 25.4 cm)
Bernard Picart,
French,
(1673–1733)
Published by
Zachariah Chatelain,
Dutch,
b. 18th Century
Object Type:
PRINTS
Creation Place:
Europe
Medium and Support:
Etching and Engraving
Credit Line:
Gift of Susan M. Dixon
Accession Number:
16-G-3760
Label from “Between Heaven and Hades: Journeys in Renaissance and Baroque Prints”, La Salle University Art Museum, September 13 - December 15, 2017:
In Greek mythology, King Minos confines the inventor Daedalus (architect of the Labyrinth) and his son Icarus to the island of Crete. Determined to escape, Daedalus crafts handmade wings of feathers bound together with wax. He warns his son to fly midway between the sun and the sea, and he leads the youth upwards into the sky. As Ovid describes in Chapter 8 of his Metamorphoses, “Proud of his success, the foolish Icarus forsook his guide, and, bold in vanity, began to soar, rising upon his wings to touch the skies; but as he neared the scorching sun, its heat softened the fragrant wax that held his plumes.” In this illustration, Icarus falls tragically from the sky, losing feathers as the wax melts from his handmade wings. His astounding flight, and that of his father depicted in the distance, is witnessed by fishermen in their boats.
Current Location:
In Storage
by Artist
by Artist
