Greek Myths and Baroque Art - Essay Example

However, Draper dedicated himself to works on historical and literary themes. The Lament of Icarus depicts the dead Icarus, a character from a Greek myth. Dead sea nymphs surround Icarus’ body. In this painting, Draper shows a dead Icarus with wings still fastened to his arms. The theme behind this painting is a Greek myth about Daedalus and his son Icarus. Daedalus, a skilled artist, built a labyrinth for Minos, king of Crete.

The King locked him in it after they differed. Daedalus could not escape via the sea as King Minos kept strict surveillance of the sea. In an attempt to find freedom, Daedalus made wings using feathers because he hoped to escape by flying. He used wax to fasten small feathers. He taught his son how to fly. On a fateful day, Icarus disregarded his father’s instructions not to fly too high in the sky. The hot sun caused the wax on his wings to melt; the feathers got disentangled, and Icarus drowned in the sea. Daedalus later named that sea after his son (Icarian Sea) “. . . he buried the body and called the land Icaria in memory of his child” (Bulfinch, 1855).