Gods, Myths and Heroes - Part 11

Icarus

The Greek myth of Icarus has been a popular subject for artists.  In the myth, Daedalus, at left, was the world's most skillful inventor and designer.  He created the Labyrinth for King Minos of Crete to imprison the Minotaur (that's another myth, and we won't get into that now).  Afterwards, King Minos did not allow Daedalus to leave Crete, presumably so he couldn't reveal the secret of the Labyrinth.

Daedalus contrived a plan to escape by constructing wings out of feathers and wax for himself and his son Icarus, and they flew away over the sea.

(Above: Daedalus and Icarus by Charles-Paul Langdon (1760-1826))

Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too low, lest the sea wet the feathers and make them too heavy, or too high, lest the sun melt the wax.  But Icarus, intoxicated by being able to fly, flew higher and higher, until he got too close to the sun.  The wax melted and he fell into the sea and drowned.

(The Fall of Icarus by contemporary artist Charles Griffith)

The myth is a classic warning about the dangers of high-flying ambition.

(Icarus from The Four Disgracers  by Hendrik Goltzius, 1588)

The subject also appealed to artists as an opportunity to portray a naked young man.  Some artists portrayed Icarus' flight up ...

(Ikarus by Sascha Schneider, 1906)

Others concentrated on his fall.

(Icarus by Egbert Modderman, 2020)

But the myth also touches on a universal human dream: to be able to fly.  This is Dream of Icarus by Sergei Solomko (1867-1928), painted in the early days of the airplane.  The idea of the age-old dream of flight now being a reality is good, but Icarus' wings are a hopeless mess, looking like some huge bird behind him, not like wings attached to him for flight.

Other artists have done less literal portrayals, ignoring the wings and concentrating on the dream of flight.  This is Idyllwild Icarus by Michael Newberry, 2017.

This is Icarus 4, photograph of nude male in sky based on Greek myth by Newbold Bohemia, 2015.  This should resonate with anyone who ever dreamed that they were flying.

I saved this image until last because it's my favorite, even though it's the least literal depiction.  It's called Icarus Falling, 1993, by the amazing blind photographer John Dugdale (click on John Dugdale in the labels list at right to see my previous post about him).  Dugdale's photos are often self-portraits, and I think that's him as Icarus.  Why do I like it?  Because unlike all the others, it suggests hope.  It says to me, even if you fly too high, even if you fall, I will catch you.