The Lament for Icarus
by Herbert James Draper, 1898
StyleAcademic Art
Artwork Details
Details
- Year
- 1898
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Size
- 182.9 cm × 155.6 cm
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British painter Herbert James Draper painted this poignant scene in 1898, showing sea nymphs mourning the fallen Icarus. The youth lies dead on rocky shore, his melted wax wings crumpled beside him. The nymphs examine his body with tender curiosity, their glistening forms contrasting with his pale, lifeless flesh.
This monumental canvas (182.9 × 155.6 cm) demonstrates Draper's mastery of Academic Art mythology. The subject of Icarus's hubris and fall remained popular with Victorian audiences. Now at Tate Britain in London.
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About The Lament for Icarus
This painting is at Tate Britain in London, which holds the national collection of British art. Draper's dramatic Academic painting remains one of the museum's most popular works.
Icarus flew too close to the sun using wings made with wax and feathers. The wax melted and he fell into the sea and drowned. Draper shows the aftermath, with nymphs discovering his body.
Draper excelled at mythological scenes featuring water and the sea. His sensuous nymphs and dramatic compositions made him one of the most successful Academic painters of his era.
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