Inspiration: Michelangelo's "The Fall of Phaeton"

Michelangelo has been the subject of several of my posts about inspiration. I continually refer back to his work over the years and find more and more to study and be inspired by. In 2015, I painted a figure in reference to the theme of his "The Fall of Phaeton" (seen below: Black chalk, completed 1531-1533, housed at the British Museum in London).

The drawing depicts the myth of Phaeton, the child of the sun god of Greek mythology. After begging (and slightly tricking) his father into allowing him to drive the chariot of the sun across the sky, he was struck down by Zeus in order to halt his disastrous journey.

I chose to highlight the figure of Phaeton himself in my piece, in the moment of agony while being struck by the bolt from Zeus. I sought to mirror the arms of Michelangelo's Phaeton as well as the robustness of his figures, and the drama of the scene.  

The fall of Phaeton, latex paint on canvas, 30 x 48", 2015