Phaeton

William Wooller's 1763 etching and engraving, "Phaeton," captures a dramatic moment from classical mythology. While not much is known about Wooller himself, the medium of etching and engraving was a common way for artists of this period to disseminate images and tell stories. The story of Phaeton, son of the sun god Helios, is a cautionary tale of hubris. Phaeton, wanting to prove his divine parentage, demands to drive his father's sun chariot across the sky. He quickly loses control, scorching the earth and threatening to destroy the cosmos, leading Zeus to strike him down with a thunderbolt to save the world. This print would have been understood by audiences familiar with Ovid's "Metamorphoses" or other classical texts, serving as both a visual narrative and a moral lesson.