Landscape with the fall of icarus series#

Due to tears and other flaws, the work was restretched several times. Secondly for technical reasons: studies of the canvas have not provided a precise date (between 15).

The authenticity of the piece was thrown into doubt by some experts from the outset.įirstly for iconographic reasons: the setting sun (probably a later addition) does not correspond to the reflection in the sea and, furthermore, the vessel's asymmetric rigging is also an issue the ship would not be able to sail as painted. In his analytical catalogue of the paintings and drawings of Bruegel the Elder, Manfred Sellink places Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, unsigned and undated, in the 'contested authorship' category. Others believe that the setting sun gives an impression of the immense distance between the sun and the earth, thus strengthening the impression of a true universe created by Bruegel. Some have seen the sun, and Daedalus's absence, as the work of a restorer. Such elements thwart the work of historians wishing to establish the authorship and the authenticity of the work.

Landscape with the fall of icarus series#

Especially given that, as we have seen, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus contains a series of anomalies in comparison to the text: Daedalus is not present in the composition, the sun is not at the zenith. These questions are still and will doubtless remain forever unresolved. Is his view of unflinching nature optimistic or, on the contrary, does it call for a pessimistic view whereby all effort is in vain? Why make references to proverbs within the piece?ĭoes he take a moralist or humanist approach to the fall? What meaning is hidden behind this interpretation of the fall of Icarus? Why does the artist present the scene in this way? Here, the drama has already taken place whilst the true action lies in the fisherman, the ploughman and the shepherd going about their daily tasks. His Fall of Icarus is very far from being a faithful illustration of the Latin epic poem. He places the landscape at the heart of the theme. While the painter takes the tale from Ovid, and all the elements of the story can be found within Bruegel's work, the composition which he presents to the viewer is a very personal version. However, none of these illustrations is comparable to this very personal interpretation. They also become disseminated in several vernacular languages, thus also becoming accessible to artists who could not read Latin. Throughout the 16th century, the illustrations from these editions are often reused and copied. Such a revival is proven by the numerous new editions of Ovid's work which appeared on the market at the time. During the Renaissance, interest in Ovid's Metamorphoses, from which the passage on the fall of Icarus is taken (book 8, v.