Ikarus, 1588

Series titleThe Four Disgracers

ArtistHendrick Goltzius, Mühlbrecht b. Venlo 1558–1617 Haarlem

Artistnach C. Cornelisz. van Haarlem, Haarlem 1562–1638 Haarlem

engraving

Sheet dimensions45,3 × 33,7 cm

Diameter33,3 cm

Status

not on display

About the workAfter betraying King Minos multiple times, the inventor Daedalus was imprisoned on the island of Crete. The only means of escape for him and his son Icarus was by air, which is why he made them both wings. He urged Icarus not to fly too low – the sea spray would make the feathers wet – or too high. Over the open sea, Icarus grew too confident and soared higher and higher, causing the wax that held the feathers together to melt in the heat of the sun. Goltzius depicts Icarus’ moment of final realisation in free fall, while his father can only look on helplessly.

AccessionCollection of the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf

Provenance[…]; seit 1932 Dauerleihgabe der Kunstakademie Düsseldorf

Inventory numberKA (FP) 2634 D

Contact

sammlung@kunstpalast.de

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https://sammlung.kunstpalast.de/en/objects/113909/ikarus

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