Phaeton

Hendrik Goltzius, after Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem

National Gallery of Art

This is a print of a muscular, nude figure falling from the sky. Their back is to us, and their body is slightly bent, so we mainly see their upper back, shoulders, and arms, as well as some of their thighs and legs. The person has a powerful, muscular back and limbs. The person’s body is oriented diagonally across the composition, with one of their arms extended upward and the other flung down. In the distance, at the top of the print, other shapes fall through the sky, including several horses, a chariot, and a loose wheel. The scene is enclosed within a circular border with Latin inscriptions. Below, the background reveals a faintly drawn landscape with a wide river, billowing smoke coming from small buildings, and hints of distant mountains.