The Fall of Phaeton

c. 1591

Joseph Heintz the Elder

Associated Names
Joseph Heintz the Elder

Artist, Swiss, 1564 - 1609

This is a drawing of a celestial scene. The image depicts dynamic figures and swirling clouds. Central to the composition is a semi-nude male figure falling through the air amidst an assembly of other figures. The scene is filled with motion, with figures both ascending and descending among the clouds. The figures are depicted with emphasis on anatomy and dynamic poses. The drawing has a monochromatic brown tone. The overall scene suggests a mythological or epic narrative, typical of baroque compositions, with complex interactions among figures creating a sense of energy and movement.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    pen and brown ink with brown and red washes over black chalk, heightened with white and indented for transfer

  • Credit Line

    New Century Fund

  • Dimensions

    overall: 50 x 62 cm (19 11/16 x 24 7/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1997.103.1


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Private collection, Normandy; (sale, Maitre Dumousset & Deburaux, Paris, 24 June 1996, no. 78, as French 17th century); (Colnaghi, London); purchased 1997 by NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1997

  • Building a Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1997-1998, no. 108.

2000

  • Art for the Nation: Collecting for a New Century, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2000-2001, 156.

2008

  • Medieval to Modern: Recent Acquisitions of Drawings, Prints, and Illustrated Books, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2008, no. 2.

Wikidata ID

Q64591199

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