The Controversy Surrounding The Fall Of Phaeton

The history surrounding the birth of The Fall of Phaeton is somewhat scarce. It is known that during the time this remarkable art work was created Rubens was traveling around Europe. He was influenced heavily by the masters of the Renaissance. The Fall of Phaeton is baroque in nature and has strong Venetian influences. Though it is unclear where The Fall of Phaeton was first displayed its first recorded existence was in Susanna Willemsens collection in 1657 in Antwerp. Though it was officially completed in 1608 it is unclear if the artwork was commissioned by anyone specific. Rubens was a popular artist during his lifetime and often sold artwork for expensive prices which would have allowed him to create art more freely.
It is fairly uncertain why The Fall of Phaeton was created. There is speculation that Rubens depicted Phaeton as a political figure. This theory arises due to the fact Rubens relations with diplomatic figures. In later work he is known to have produced mythological images that were directly correlated to political figures. Rubens would render political figures to juxtapose their status. However no evidence of such …show more content…
This notion arises from his eccentric, artistic lifestyle. Neither theory has been fully supported nor has an immediate patron been listed in the artwork records. The Fall of Phaeton was originally produced in 1604 then later reworked 1608. During this time period Rubens lost his mother. It is possible that The Fall of Phaeton was reworked due to the fact Rubens obligations laid elsewhere.
The Fall of Phaeton is considered one of Rubens earlier masterpieces which makes the history of this piece somewhat of a mystery. I find this only suiting due to the mystery within the image itself and the unknown light source we believe to be Apollo. This beautifully constructed painting can now be seen in the National Gallery of Art in Washington,