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Landscape with the Fall of Icarus

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Greek Myths: The Fall of Icarus

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Icarus and his dad, Daedalus, were trapped in a tower, so Daedalus built them wings out of feathers and wax to escape. How are Landscape with the Fall of Icarus and Icarus connected?

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Icarus and his dad, Daedalus, were trapped in a tower, so Daedalus built them wings out of feathers and wax to escape. He warned his son not to get too close to the sun, but he soared too high, the sun melted the wax, and he crashed straight into the sea and drowned.

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The myth of Icarus and his father Daedalus remains one of the most enduring cautionary tales in classical mythology.

Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, c. 1590–1595, oil on wood ( 63 cm × 90 cm (25 in × 35 in) ), circle of P. Bruegel the Elder, Museum van Buuren, Brussels, Belgium
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Imprisoned on the island of Crete by King Minos after constructing the Labyrinth, the master craftsman devised a daring escape plan. He fashioned two pairs of wings using beeswax and feathers, warning his son to maintain a middle course to avoid the dangers of both the sea spray and the sun's heat.

Driven by hubris, Icarus ignored these instructions and soared too close to the sun. The intense heat melted the wax, causing his wings to disintegrate and leading to his fatal plunge into the Icarian Sea.

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The Myth of Icarus: Ambition and Indifference

Exploring the intersection of classical tragedy, artistic interpretation, and the human condition.

Inside the story

The myth of Icarus serves as a foundational cautionary tale regarding the dangers of hubris. At its heart, the story concerns the legendary craftsman Daedalus, who designed the Labyrinth of Crete to contain the monstrous Minotaur. Imprisoned by King Minos to protect the secrets of his architectural genius, Daedalus fashioned wings of feathers and wax for himself and his son,…

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  1. DaedalusStart here

    Daedalus is a legendary master craftsman and inventor who designed the Labyrinth and the wings used by himself and his son.

    Captor and captive.

    King Minos held Daedalus captive in the Labyrinth.

    Minos → Daedalus

  2. Minos

    Minos was the mythical King of Crete who imprisoned Daedalus and Icarus.

    King of Crete and captor of Icarus

    Minos imprisoned Daedalus and Icarus in the Labyrinth, which necessitated their desperate attempt to escape by air.

    Icarus → Minos

  3. Icarus

    Icarus is a figure in Greek mythology who dies after his wax-and-feather wings melt during an attempted escape from Crete.

    The creature imprisoned within the Labyrinth

    The Minotaur was the primary reason King Minos commissioned Daedalus to build the Labyrinth, setting the stage for Icarus's imprisonment and subsequent flight.

    Icarus → Minotaur

  4. Minotaur

    In Greek mythology, the Minotaur, also known as Asterion or Asterius, is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "part man and part bull".

    Connected through other ideas

    1. IcarusMinotaur

      The creature imprisoned within the Labyrinth

      The Minotaur was the primary reason King Minos commissioned Daedalus to build the Labyrinth, setting the stage for Icarus's imprisonment and subsequent flight.

    2. IcarusHubris

      Icarus as an archetype of hubris.

      The myth is frequently used as an example of hubris because Icarus ignored his father's warnings and flew too close to the sun.

  5. Hubris

    Hubris is a concept in Greek tragedy describing excessive pride or defiance of the gods, often leading to a character's downfall.

    Thematic concept underlying the painting

    The painting explores the theme of hubris through the tragic fall of Icarus, contrasting his ambition with the mundane activities of the surrounding world.

    Landscape with the Fall of Icarus → Hubris

  6. Landscape with the Fall of Icarus

    Landscape with the Fall of Icarus is a famous painting traditionally attributed to Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

    Connected through other ideas

    1. Landscape with the Fall of IcarusIcarus

      Artistic depiction.

      The painting depicts the final moments of the myth of Icarus.

    2. IcarusCrete

      The island location of Icarus's imprisonment

      Crete serves as the setting for the myth, where Daedalus served King Minos and where the Labyrinth was constructed.

  7. Crete

    Crete is the largest Greek island and the setting where Daedalus and Icarus were imprisoned.

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