Apollo styrende sin solvogn opad; foroven Krebsens himmeltegn; cirkelrundt indrammet; fremstiller den korteste dag 1790s - 1800s

Here is a sketch by Nicolai Abildgaard, depicting Apollo guiding his sun chariot upwards, with the zodiac sign Cancer above, framed in a circle. Abildgaard created this drawing during the late 18th-century, a time when artists explored themes of reason and heroism during the Enlightenment. The god Apollo, with his association with light, music, and poetry, represented an ideal of masculine beauty and intellect. Yet, even within this celebration of the classical, we can read some subversion. Apollo is unclothed, vulnerable even, in the face of the immensity of the cosmos. The crab floats above the horses, perhaps mocking the notion of masculine control. Encircled by faint handwriting, the sketch takes on an emotional dimension, like a personal meditation on time, progress, and the human condition. It invites us to reflect on how we navigate our own journeys, both empowered and humbled by forces beyond our control.