Apollo and Daphne

Gian Lorenzo Bernini was one of the most talented sculptors of the Baroque era. He came known for creating incredibly life-like statues and Apollo and Daphne is not an exception. Its magnificence is only amplified when the story of Apollo and Daphne is considered as well.

What’s the story

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[figure 1] Gian Lorenzo Bernini, “Apollo and Daphne”, 1622-1625, marble, 243cm, Borghese Gallery and Museum. (Click to enlarge)

This statue, Apollo and Daphne [figure 1], was one in a collection of statues commissioned by Cardinal Scipione Borghese. Cardinal Borghese was a wealthy man from a wealthy Italian family, and also just happened to be the Pope’s nephew. This Pope, Paul V, was not above employing his family members within the church to be on his side in political issues and to oversee the handling of the papal finances. Now, much like the Renaissance, the Baroque era was supported by wealthy patrons who chose an up and coming artist and financed their entire career. The relationship between Cardinal Borghese and Bernini was exactly that, a patron and his artist. 

Cardinal Borghese had a love for the arts that caused him to commission a large collection of works by Bernini. It is unclear, to me so far, as to whether or not there were any specific requirements in Bernini’s “contract” with Borghese. I only mention this because the range of works created for Cardinal Borghese is wide, dealing with greek mythology, religious and historical figures, and busts to honor his patrons. All of these works are now held in the Villa Borghese where they originally intended to reside. So, among other subjects, Bernini decided to portray this Greek myth of Apollo and Daphne, from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, to be placed in Cardinal Borghese’s collection, in his home. This may give us reason to consider the myth and the message that it conveys.

The myth of Apollo and Daphne starts with a disagreement between Apollo and Cupid. The two gods were disagreeing about who was the better archer, and when Apollo challenged Cupid, Cupid decided he would get revenge on the god of music, poetry, and archery. So, Cupid shot Apollo with one of his arrows to make him fall in love with the next person he saw. Shortly after, Cupid found Daphne and shot her with an arrow that would keep her from falling in love with anyone. 

As Apollo continued on his way, he encountered Daphne, a nymph, who rejected his advances. Daphne had vowed to remain an unmarried woman, so with the help of Cupid’s lead arrow of hate, she wanted nothing to do with Apollo. Apollo continued to pursue Daphne, and as she became more and more bothered by his pursuit, she called on her father, a river god named Peneus to protect her vow of maidenhood. When Apollo reached out to touch Daphne Peneus turned Daphne into a laurel tree. In doing this, Daphne could forever protect her maidenhood, and Apollo, still very much in love, made laurel leaves one of his symbols. The moment in the story where Apollo touches Daphne is the moment portrayed in Bernini’s statue.

Let’s breakdown the work:

To start, the sculpture Apollo and Daphne is created in the round, which means that you can walk around the entire statue and it is completely finished, unlike other statues that are unfinished in the back because they are meant to be placed against a wall. This means that Bernini took care to craft every part of the statue and that he did not intend for it to be placed in any one spot. The two characters portrayed are, as previously mentioned, Apollo and Daphne at the moment when Apollo has finally caught up with Daphne and touches her at the waist. We know that this moment is when Daphne has already begun to turn into a tree as we can see the bark that stretches down from Apollo’s hand [figure 2]. If we continue to follow that panel of bark we can see Daphne’s toes becoming roots, anchoring her into place [figure 3 and 4]. In the opposite direction, Daphne’s fingers are becoming leaves and her hair, although frozen because it is marble, does look like it may also be turning in to leaves, or maybe bark [figure 5].

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[figure 2] Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Apollo and Daphne, 1622-25, details. (Click to enlarge)

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[figure 3] Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Apollo and Daphne, 1622-25, details. (Click to enlarge)

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[figure 4] Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Apollo and Daphne, 1622-25, details. (Click to enlarge)

[figure 5] Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Apollo and Daphne, 1622-25, details. (Click to enlarge)

One of the bigger reasons why this statue is so notable is how it captures movement and emotion. The moment depicted comes in the middle of a chase and we can see that in the forward momentum of the characters featured. Although the statue does not move, the positioning of the marble bodies implies that Apollo is falling forward into Daphne, who is also moving forward, while also twisting up and away from Apollo’s grasp. This is probably best seen from the back of the statue [figure 6 and 7], where we can see that Apollo’s momentum has also caused his drapery to flow out behind him creating an arch that is disconnected from the rest of the statue. We also see Apollo’s foot flailing out behind him as he continues his pursuit of Daphne. 

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[figure 6] Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Apollo and Daphne, 1622-25, details. (Click to enlarge)

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[figure 7] Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Apollo and Daphne, 1622-25, details. (Click to enlarge)

The emotion on the faces of Apollo and Daphne are also important to deciphering the subject matter of this statue. Daphne’s face shows her anguish and surprise at being caught by the god she was trying to avoid. We can almost hear he exclamation of shock and fear as Apollo catches her. Her face is extremely expressive and serves a point that anchors the viewer in the reality of the situation. Apollo, on the other hand, seems excited but is almost too caught up in the moment as he longingly stares at Daphne, not quite realizing what he has just caused.

Why is it important to art history?

Apollo and Daphne is just one example of Baroque art that sets the standard for that period. Beyond that, this statue is a wonderful example of how patronage in art continues past the Renaissance. Although that is a deeper topic that we will dive into next week, it is an important thing to consider. As I have already mentioned, knowing the “why” to an artist’s reasons for creating is one of the most important things to know to begin to form a perspective on a work of art. In this case, the “why” is likely more than the work being commissioned by a powerful and wealthy Cardinal. Unfortunately, the real “why” is buried beneath many layers of religious and financial causes that create enough of an explanation that it keeps people from looking deeper.

Regardless, this piece is also important to art history because it shows an evolution in the way that artists depict the human body, movement, and emotion. How Bernini captures a story with as much emotion as Apollo and Daphne’s is impressive, especially when we consider how little technology Bernini had at his disposal while he was creating this statue. With his foresight and artistic mind, Bernini brought forth a torturous and complex scene from a block of marble.  

How can you form your own perspective?

For works like this, namely statues, I fully recommend taking time to examine every part of the statue. There’s not much of a side to take in the discussion of Apollo and Daphne, however, there is still a perspective to be developed. Ask yourself about Bernini’s situation. Do you think his talent is impressive? Do you think attention to his art is earned? Or, do you think he just got lucky with who his patron is? What do you think went into creating a statue like this? What details do you notice when you take a second look?

Ask yourself these questions, and maybe come up with a few more of your own along the way. Form an opinion on this piece. Do you like it, or not? Why? If you would like to share, feel free to send me an email through the contact page!