The Roman author Ovid tells of Icarus, who makes wings of wax in order to flee from King Minos. Icarus was warned by his father Daidalos not to fly too close to the sun, but was struck by hubris and the wings melted. The motif was very popular during the Renaissance and here the scene is placed in the alps. The church interpreted the scene morally, as a symbol of new scientific theories, which could backfire if you went too far.