Max-Daniel - La chute d'Icare

Max-Daniel – The Fall of Icarus
According to Ovid's Metamorphoses

Mixed media on canvas: printing, acrylic painting, oil painting and gold leaf.
Year: 2026 Dimensions of the canvas: 30 × 40 cm - overall with frame 39 × 49 cm
Unique work, signed and framed.
Delivered with its original preparatory study on paper cf photo.

Suspended in a dizzying fall, Icarus appears with his body overturned, still surrounded by the feathers that detach from his wings. The composition captures the moment when ascent becomes precipice, when the dream of surpassing the human condition suddenly tips into the fall.

Inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses, this work offers a contemporary reading of the myth. The deep blue evokes the immensity of the sky, while the shards of gold leaf recall simultaneously the sunlight, Icarus's hubris, and the gradual disappearance of his wings.

The composition also borrows from the language of Baroque and religious painting: twisting of the body, theatricality of movement, dramatic lighting and the presence of gold, traditionally associated with the sacred. These ancient references are here confronted with contemporary means of creation in a decidedly postmodern approach.

The work stems from a long process of development. An initial original study was made on paper, combining drawing and painting. This preparatory work was then subjected to artificial intelligence to explore different interpretations of the composition. The image chosen was printed on canvas, then deeply reworked by hand in acrylic paint and enriched with real gold leaf.

The weave of the print, the painting interventions, the impastos and the metallic fragments remain deliberately visible. Artificial intelligence is therefore not used as a final purpose, but as one of the steps in a process bringing together drawing, digital generation, selection, printing and manual material work.

The work is presented in a patinated gold frame, whose classical spirit extends its references to old painting. It bears the signature of Max-Daniel and the date 2026. The back is annotated, with a wax seal and bears the inscription “piece unique et originale.”

The original preparatory study, signed and dated, accompanies the painting and is an integral part of the work.
• Finish: Sennelier oil gloss varnish

Conditions de vente

Sale by a professional, with free shipping, insured and refund on simple return according to the conditions provided.

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Certificate of authenticity on paper signed as original and unique provided with the artwork

Max-Daniel is a professional artist registered as an author-artist with Urssaf; as such he offers a refund on simple return, which guarantees your satisfaction.