The Lament for Icarus I find intriguing for reasons I can’t fully explain. It’s certainly not the story behind it or it’s moral. From what I can remember, Icarus and his father were trapped on an island and in order to escape they collected feathers for years. They used these to fashion wings by gluing them with wax and then they flew away. However Icarus, in the joy of his newfound freedom, flew too close to the sun, melting the wax and plummeting himself to the earth. It’s as if to say that if you aspire too high you will fail. If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen. I would prefer to disagree on that note. If I were going for theme alone, I would probably choose Icarus at the peak of his triumphant flight. And yet here he is, sunken to earth, a sad, pitiful figure. It is rather a sad scene and yet there is something calm about it. There would be nothing but the birds and the cool breeze off the water, the lapping of the waves on the rocks and the warm sun. There is a harp that is not played and nymphs that do not speak but gaze on. Quiet.
The colors. There is something about them. They seem to glow with a warmth that defies the somberness of the scene. Rich ochre, warm browns and blushing creams seem to set the image ablaze. Or perhaps its more akin to the burning of embers. And the characters, they are smooth and unflawed. Icarus shows no sign of injury or pain. It is as if he has fallen asleep upon a nest of feathers. Angelic. Serene. The water nymphs, signs of innocence and joy are out of place within this tragedy. They seem to glow palely as they regard Icarus and seem more curious than sorrowful. But the three women also have some quality of the muses. One carries a golden harp and all three are crowned.
I think that overall it is the implied serenity of the scene that I like. It does not seem truly sad, nor is it joyful. All seems to have stopped in a heartbeat of innocence and longing, that moment before the shock and realization of death sinks in. There is still a glow within the world that makes even death a happy place.
Dapper, William James. The Lament for Icarus. 1898.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I enjoy your analyses. They are enthusiastic and opinionated, never dull or sitting on the fence. You relate with a piece quite deeply, it seems, and do a fun, interesting job of explaining that relation to us.
Clever title also.
I enjoy your analysis of what the colors do for the image's meaning. I do see how although the scene is a tragic one, the image still evokes warm feelings of serenity and awe.
When I looked at this painting, I was captivated primarily by the enormous wings attached to Icarus' arms. The feathers are majestic and the wings massive. I am called to a sense of wonder and beauty, not to anticlimactic despair.
Fine, observant and sensitive writing, Rebecca. Good comment, Valerie. I assume the myth/the morals indicate universality?
Post a Comment