Study for "Icarus", No. 2 1964

Jimmy Ernst made this study for "Icarus" with charcoal and pastel on paper, and I can almost feel the energy he put into it. Look at those slashing marks, the feathery strokes at the top, like wings in a fever dream. I wonder what it was like for Ernst, grappling with the myth of Icarus through this medium. Was he thinking about failure, ambition, or the sheer hubris of trying to fly too close to the sun? The dark charcoal feels heavy, like the weight of Icarus’s impending doom. Then there are pops of red and blue pastel—fleeting moments of vibrancy before the fall. There's something so raw and immediate about this sketch. It reminds me that art isn't just about the finished product; it's about the messy, uncertain process of trying to make something meaningful. Ernst's study makes me think about other artists and the countless studies that came before us. We’re all just wrestling with ideas, trying to make them take flight.