Overconfidence Leads to Downfall

            The painting “The Fall of Phaeton” by Peter Paul Ruben is a painting based on a Greek

mythology about the destructive death of Phaeton, the son of Apollo the Sun-God. In the story,

Phaeton died because of his incompetence, he did not have the strength nor the experience to

command over the divine chariot when crossing the skies which lead to the erratic movements

of the horses as they cross the skies and caused destruction towards earth. The destruction

then lead Jupiter, the Supreme God, to cast a thunderbolt towards Phaeton in order to save

earth from total destruction, causing Phaeton’s miserable death. When making this painting,

the artist applied different kinds of principles of designs such as unity and variety, balance,

emphasis and subordination, proportion, rhythm and repetition, contrast, and movement.

The artist used a variety of elements of art in the painting such as different form of a

“person” that are currently facing a tragedy and different form of erratic horses. Lines such as

diagonal, horizontal, curve lines were also used in the painting. Various colors like yellow, blue,

red, white, etc. can also be seen in the painting. Balance can also be seen, the rays coming from

the skies divides one side from the other and form visual balance in the painting. Emphasis and

subordination was done through the play of the value of the colors. Light/bright colors, like the

color of the rays of the sun, were used to emphasize the “main character”, Phaeton, while dark

colors were used for the other “characters” that are “less important” like the horses. The

position of Phaeton was also used to emphasize him as the center of all characters. The

characters/figures’ position and sizes also helped created a flow wherein the viewers’ eye

would be attracted from the left portion moved towards the right and then the center, towards
Phaeton. Because of the right size and good proportion of the characters/figures, movements

and rhythms in the painting were created. The rhythms also brings about the unity in the

painting, that despite the variety of elements used and the emphasize on certain character, the

flow makes it seems like the characters/figures are moving in one “direction” or like they are

experiencing one same event. There is also repetition of the different kinds of elements of art

such as the repetition of colors, forms, lines, etc. Contrast, on the other hand, can be seen on

the values of the colors used, illuminating lights were used to depict the Supreme God and his

thunderbolt, it depicts hope and earth’s savior from devastation. While dark shades of colors

were used to depict the destruction on earth caused by the riot of the divine chariot. Value was

used to contrast the emotions from different sides.

In conclusion, the application of the different kinds of principles of design is vital in the

making of an artwork. The use of the different kinds of principles of design helps in creating an

artwork that is easy to understand despite the variety of elements used in the creation of the

art piece. The proper use of the different principles of designs are very much helpful especially

when an artist wants to convey something though their artwork. Thus, it is important to be

knowledgeable about it so that one would be able to use it properly through the creation of a

visually pleasing artworks with an understandable message behind it.