Phaethon in His Chariot with Time

Vouet, Simon (attrib) 1590 - 1649

Summary

The iconography of this oil sketch for a ceiling decoration leans toward an interpretation of the principal figure as Phaethon, the son of Apollo, who drove's his father's chariot out of control, ending in his own death. The impetuous driver of this chariot brandishes a flaming torch, his red cloak streaming out behind him as he urges his horses on across the sky, scattering everyone in his path. Father Time jumps out of the way with his scythe and hourglass. The figure escaping with a torch lower left could represent Apollo, although the position seems insignificant for such a major figure. The female figure attended by a putto, leaning on the large flask from which water is flowing, may be the Oceanid Clymene, Phaeton's mother. This painting is tentatively attributed to the French painter Louis Laguerre, since it bears comparison purely on stylistic grounds to his oil sketches of mythological subjects, although it has not been linked to any of his known decorative schemes in Britain or France.

Display Label

Apollo in his Chariot with Time about 1630s attributed to Simon Vouet 1590 – 1649 oil on canvas In Greek mythology, Apollo is the god of the sun. Here the figure in the red cloak is probably Apollo. He holds the reins of his spirited horses and a dart or whip of fire in his other hand. In front of him, old father Time wields his scythe. This is a sketch for a wall painting. Vouet was a very famous French artist in his time, but decorative painting fell out of fashion and he is not well known any more. We do not even know if the finished work was ever made. Purchased 1966.295