The Fall of Phaeton
late 16th-early 17th century
Hendrick Goltzius captures the ultimate cosmic car crash in this dramatic Mannerist drawing. Phaeton, the reckless son of the sun god, lost control of his father's fiery chariot, forcing Zeus to strike him down with a thunderbolt to save Earth from scorching. You can see the chaos unfold as the horses rear and the chariot plummets from the heavens, while the giant Atlas braces himself against the falling sky on the right. Goltzius's masterful use of brown ink and wash creates swirling clouds and dynamic, twisting figures that perfectly embody the exaggerated drama of the late 16th century.
- Technique
- pen and brown ink with wash
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