Name/Title
Untitled (Arts and Sciences of the Ancient World – the Flight of Daedalus and Icarus)Entry/Object ID
2022.09Description
Image of two winged humans flying on a red and white background.Context
This painting is a study for what would later become the grand ceiling tile mosaic at 120 N. LaSalle Street in Chicago across from City Hall. Brown’s mosaic-version of the piece was commissioned by the city in 1989, where it would go on to greet decades of Chicago’s mayors, politicians, and citizens. In determining the subject matter for the work, the artist was struck by the mythological story of Daedalus and Icarus, particularly for its relationship to built architecture and the sky. As the Greek myth goes, King Minos of Crete hired Daedalus (the first architect) to create a labyrinth to contain the king’s secret Minotaur. However, furious with Daedalus for various speculative reasons, King Minos eventually had the architect and his son, Icarus, imprisoned. As a form of escape, Daedalus built wings for himself and his son out of wax and feathers, warning Icarus not to fly to close to the sun or the water for fear that his wings would be destroyed. In considering this story, Roger Brown no doubt liked this imagery and story serving as a warning to Chicago’s notoriously greedy and corrupt politicians. Thus, the two silhouetted figures of Icarus and Daedalus were incorporated into the painting (and later the mosaic) in the artist’s signature style with billowing clouds and sunrays illuminated behind. This distinctive cloud motif is repeated throughout Brown’s work, making this particular painting a prime example of the artist’s oeuvre.Acquisition
Accession
2022.09Source or Donor
James ZanziAcquisition Method
GiftCredit Line
Gift of James M. Zanzi, in memory of Whitney HalsteadDimensions
Height
25-1/2 inWidth
54 in