Phaëton vraagt Apollo om de zonnewagen 1558

Hendrick Goltzius created this drawing, "Phaëton vraagt Apollo om de zonnewagen" in the late 16th century. Goltzius lived during the Dutch Golden Age, a period marked by economic prosperity and artistic innovation in the Netherlands, when classical mythology was often employed to explore themes of power, ambition, and human limitations. In this drawing, Goltzius depicts Phaeton pleading with Apollo to drive the sun chariot, a scene ripe with patriarchal dynamics and the perils of unchecked ambition. The sun chariot myth has been used across time to ask questions about gender, class, and race. Phaeton's desire to prove himself capable can be seen as an exploration of gendered expectations and the burden of legacy. Goltzius masterfully uses light and shadow to heighten the emotional intensity of the scene. The figures, rendered with dramatic flair, seem to writhe with passion and conflict. Here, Goltzius invites us to reflect on the timeless struggle between aspiration and consequence, and between the personal and the divine.