Artwork
The Fall of Phaeton
The Fall of Phaeton is a print by the Renaissance artist Nicolas Beatrizet. It is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This print depicts a chaotic scene of horses and a chariot plummeting from the sky, based on a lost drawing by Michelangelo.
About this work
He gave the original to a friend in 1533, and within weeks, engravers in Rome were selling copies—without Michelangelo’s permission.
You see a wild tumble of horses and a chariot crashing from the sky, bodies twisting in mid-air.
This print copies a lost drawing by Michelangelo. He gave the original to a friend in 1533, and within weeks, engravers in Rome were selling copies—without Michelangelo’s permission. The French artist added trees and clouds to fill the empty corners.
If you like the drama of twisting bodies, look up *sfumato*.
Overview
This print depicts a chaotic scene of horses and a chariot plummeting from the sky, based on a lost drawing by Michelangelo.
Subject & Meaning
The image illustrates a myth from Ovid's Metamorphoses, where Phaeton, son of Helios, loses control of his father's chariot and is struck down by Zeus, while his sisters below transform into trees.
Technique & Style
The print, engraved by a French artist in Rome, closely follows Michelangelo's composition but adds landscape elements, such as trees and clouds, to the background.
History & Provenance
Michelangelo created the original drawing in 1533 for Tommaso de' Cavalieri, and it was soon copied by engravers in Rome without his direct involvement.
Artist & collection
