The Fall of Phaeton
About this artwork
Phaeton, son of Apollo the sun god, hurtles out of his father's horse-drawn carriage after losing control. According to the story in Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' Jupiter intervened and to avoid a catastrophe sent Phaeton to earth on a thunderbolt. Reni omits the chariot from his drawing and concentrates in the composition on Phaeton and the horses forming a rhythmical, swirling pattern. This was ideally suited to the location of the painting for which it was a preparatory study: a ceiling fresco in the former Zani Palace in Bologna. It is one of Reni's most impressive early drawings.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Guido ReniItalian (1575 - 1642)
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title:The Fall of Phaeton
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date created:About 1596 - 1600
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materials:Pen and brown ink and wash heightened with white over black chalk on paper
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measurements:37.50 x 32.50 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Purchased 1974
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accession number:D 5011
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gallery:
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depicted:
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subject:
Guido Reni
Guido Reni
Reni was probably one of the most successful and sought-after Italian painters of his time, although he was notoriously difficult and temperamental. His paintings combine elegant and graceful figures with naturalistic details and textures. He was born in Bologna and trained first with the Flemish...
