Landschap met de val van Phaëthon 1565 - 1630

This etching by Italian artist Antonio Tempesta depicts the myth of Phaethon, son of the sun god Helios, who attempts to drive the sun chariot across the sky but loses control, causing havoc and scorching the earth. Tempesta uses a dramatic composition, portraying the scene from a bird's-eye view, showing Phaethon struggling with the horses as they soar above a landscape with a town and river below. This work, dated between 1565 and 1630, is currently housed in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.