Icarus krijgt van Daedalus zijn vleugels aangezet 1800 - 1808

Editor: Here we have Jurriaan Andriessen’s pen and ink drawing, "Icarus krijgt van Daedalus zijn vleugels aangezet", dating from 1800 to 1808. It’s a touching depiction of Daedalus fitting Icarus with his wings. The textures, particularly the rough wall behind them, make me wonder about the setting in the story, which, is so often read in relation to classical thought, in very human and practical terms. What catches your eye about this drawing? Curator: What intrigues me is precisely that tactile quality. Think about the physical act of Daedalus constructing these wings. The myth often focuses on Icarus’s hubris and fall, but what about the labor, the ingenuity, the very real, messy *making* that went into this technological marvel? What were these wings made of? Feathers, yes, but also wax – a material derived from the industry of bees. Editor: That's fascinating! Beeswax connects the myth to the natural world and even agricultural labor, something you wouldn't necessarily think of. Curator: Exactly! And notice the texture of the prison wall; this work demands we consider Daedalus’s labor in confinement, under the eye of power. He’s using his skills to escape, turning craft into a tool of resistance, a form of clandestine engineering. Can we see those bricks as components, raw materials for freedom? Editor: That gives the myth a totally different spin! So, the emphasis on the physical elements—wax, feathers, ink, paper, stone—reveals the social and political dimensions often overlooked in the narrative. Curator: Precisely! It challenges the romantic notion of the artist as purely inspired, instead placing them within a network of material production and socio-political constraint. Editor: I never considered that a drawing about Icarus could say so much about materials, craft, and even labor! Thanks for showing me new ways of looking at such familiar imagery. Curator: And you have helped me see how Andriessen’s style highlights labor's vital importance.