![]() My initial love of the painting grew from how well the composition and title linked together- how they both put Icarus subtly aside. The poem we looked at was William Carlos William’s “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus”. ![]() I had to study The Landscape with the Fall of Icarus before for a lesson in ekphrastic poetry (when you use one medium of art/writing to describe a work from another medium). This effect makes all of Bruegel s works, to me, look more fantastic and dream like. The lines look more curved and soft to me than other Renaissance works. Just looking at the painting, I love the bright colors, the way they are concentrated and spread throughout the work. The Landscape with the Fall of Icarus is my favorite of Bruegel’s works. I really adore Bruegel’s works and his focus on the common people. Personal Reflection on The Landscape with the Fall of Icarus The part of the painting where Icarus resides is the darkest- perhaps to show that the common people are the ones in ‘the spotlight’ of this painting. Instead, the viewer’s sight is on the illuminated patch of water, then the ships and then the hillside. This is done to further distract the viewer from his presence in the corner. It is also interesting to note that Icarus is not in the center of the painting, despite being a famous mythological figure. Through a humanist perspective, this in turn can be seen as the importance of giving more attention and respect to modern people. The composition can also be seen as an elevation of the common folk- the main people presented in the painting are all at higher points of altitude than the drowning Icarus. Their focus is on the work at hand, the drowning of Icarus is of little import. This could be seen as commentary- common people don’t have time or care to waste on things that were highly valued in the past- like Greek myths. The people in the painting do not notice the flailing arms of Icarus in the water, carrying on in their daily work. This is seen in the composition where the landscape and peasants dominate the painting in the foreground. For though this painting has the word Icarus in its title, its focus is not just on Greek mythology. Even within the title, Icarus is second to the landscape- as if he was added in at the very last moment. It is unknown where exactly the painting of The Landscape with the Fall of Icarus took place the painting is now kept in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels, Belgium. The Landscape with the Fall of Icarus is believed to have been painted around 1560. The Landscape with the Fall of Icarus & Humanism A prime example of humanism in Bruegel’s work is his painting, The Landscape with the Fall of Icarus. Bruegel focused on the failures and triumphs of mankind- a common theme of humanism. Their patronage allowed Bruegel to focus on the peasant class and on their daily toils and pleasures. Instead, Bruegel was supported by wealthy businessmen, connoisseurs and humanist scholars. As an artist, Bruegel wasn’t supported by a monarchy or by the Church. Pieter Bruegel was born in 1525 in the Netherlands Bruegel died in Brussels in 1569. “The Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” by Pieter Bruegel, retrieved from the Paris WebMuseum via.
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