Henri Matisse’s “The Fall of Icarus” (1943). (Courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art.)
Yesterday, I attended a press viewing at the Museum of Modern Art for an upcoming exhibit called “Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs.” The “cut-outs” are an art form which Matisse (1869-1954) created by painting gouache (similar to watercolors) on white paper, and then, with the use of a pair of scissors, cutting the paper into whimsical shapes. While the “cut-outs” have long been among my favorite works of art, when I again stood before “The Fall of Icarus” (1943), I was reminded of the subject of our class, the search for identity, and our upcoming consideration of male heroism.
If you do not know Icarus’s story from Greek myth, you might want to read it (“Bullfinch’s Mythology” is a good start), as it has all the elements of great storytelling—a romance, a betrayal and the hero’s death and rebirth. Very briefly, it is about the young man and his father, the inventor Daedalus. They escaped the Labyrinth, having been placed there by King Minos of Crete for aiding the hero Theseus. Daedalus made wings composed of wax and feathers for himself and Icarus, and warned his son not to get too close to the sun. If he did, the wax would melt. While at first Icarus heeded his father’s warning, he soon became so entranced with his ability to fly that he forgot how vulnerable he was. His wings melted and he fell into the sea.
The story may, like the fairy tale aphorisms at the end of “Bluebeard,” may be a warning, in this case to young men, about their penchant for recklessness, but Henri Matisse obviously did not see it that way. Look at the heart of his Icarus, at the moment the boy was falling to his death. Matisse’s Icarus harbors a bright red heart, aflame with the sense of adventure. It seems to take the shape of a plant or a tree, symbols of rebirth. While Icarus is backgrounded in black, perhaps representing the dark sea, he is also surrounded by golden stars; as objects in the night sky, stars are symbols of transformation and rebirth. So, as we begin to read about the male quest for identity, I hope you will keep this wonderful work of art in your mind as a representation of the heroic path that encompasses death and rebirth. Perhaps you will also see this rare and wonderful exhibit of Matisse’s cut-outs, too. You can do it for free! It begins on Sunday, October 12th at MoMA, and as a full-time CUNY student, you get one free admission! See details here: http://www.moma.org/visit/plan/offers#admission