The Fall of Phaeton

The Fall of Phaeton depicts the moment when Zeus strikes down Phaeton, who had lost control of his father Apollo's sun chariot. Created in 1533 by Michelangelo, this black chalk drawing was a gift for the artist's beloved friend Tommaso de' Cavalieri. The composition shows cascading figures, horses, and the falling chariot in a complex arrangement.

Michelangelo made several versions of this subject for Cavalieri, a young Roman nobleman with whom the aging artist had an intense emotional relationship. The gift drawings were highly finished presentation pieces, not working studies, demonstrating Michelangelo's affection through artistic virtuosity. The mythological subject of forbidden desire and divine punishment may have carried personal meaning.

This version is at the British Museum.