Val van Phaëthon, 1728
Hendrick Goltzius

The painting captures the dramatic tale of Phaëthon, who disastrously attempts to control his father Apollo's sun chariot. The horses set the earth ablaze, causing riverbeds to dry up and river nymphs to lament their fate. Neptune, trident in hand, emerges from the sea, reaching towards the heavens. Mother Earth, depicted as Cybele with a crown of cities, peeks out from the ground, shielding her gaze with one hand. Atlas strains under the weight of the celestial sphere while Jupiter hurls lightning bolts. In the climax of the scene, Phaëthon plummets from the sky with his chariot. The painting is part of an album and is accompanied by four lines of Latin verse.

Copyright: Public domain