Apollo and Daphne (Bernini)
Marble sculpture of Daphne's transformation into a laurel tree.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Apollo and Daphne is a life-sized marble sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, created from 1622 to 1625. It is considered a masterpiece of Baroque art and is displayed at the Galleria Borghese in Rome, alongside other early works by the artist. The piece captures the pivotal moment from Ovid's Metamorphoses, where the nymph Daphne transforms into a laurel tree to flee the god Apollo.
Cardinal Scipione Borghese commissioned the work as part of a series of important sculptures by Bernini that helped shape Baroque sculpture, though it was not the final piece in that series—Bernini's 'David' was completed after 'Apollo and Daphne' was begun but before it was finished, and Bernini continued to work for Borghese afterward. The commission was part of Borghese's ongoing patronage of Bernini, not specifically to ingratiate himself to Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi. Most of the early carving occurred in 1622–23, but work paused while Bernini completed his sculpture of David (1623–24). He finished Apollo and Daphne in 1625, and it was moved to the Cardinal's Villa Borghese in September of that year. Bernini did not carve the entire piece alone; his workshop assisted, as was typical. The gifted sculptor Giuliano Finelli handled the fine details of Daphne's transformation—such as the twigs, leaves, and windswept hair. Some art historians downplay Finelli's role, arguing he simply executed Bernini's design. The sculpture was warmly received from its unveiling.
In the scene, Apollo believes he has caught Daphne after a long chase. He places a hand on what he thinks is her hip, but her skin is already turning into tree bark. His flowing drapery suggests the speed of his pursuit. Although the sculpture can be viewed from many angles, Bernini designed it with a clear front and back. He intended it to be seen slightly from the right, where it was visible from the doorway. From that angle, viewers could see the expressions of both Apollo and Daphne at once, grasping the story in a single glance. From the left, neither face is fully visible, and Daphne's body is mostly hidden; instead, one sees a tangle of hair and the structural supports Bernini built into the marble. From the right, many details appear impossibly light and fragile. Eventually, the sculpture was moved to the center of the room, allowing it to be seen
- Artist
- Gian Lorenzo Bernini
- Year
- 1622–1625
- Medium
- Marble
- Location
- Galleria Borghese, Rome
- Subject
- Apollo and Daphne from Ovid's Metamorphoses
- Commissioned by
- Cardinal Scipione Borghese
Lore & Background
Apollo and Daphne was commissioned by Cardinal Scipione Borghese from Gian Lorenzo Bernini as part of a series of important works that helped to define Baroque sculpture, though it was not the last of that series—Bernini's 'David' was completed after 'Apollo and Daphne' was begun but before it was finished, and Bernini continued to work for Borghese afterward. It was commissioned as part of Borghese's ongoing patronage of Bernini, not specifically to ingratiate himself to Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi. Much of the early work was done in 1622–23, but Bernini's work on his sculpture of David (1623–24) interrupted its completion. Bernini finished Apollo and Daphne in 1625, and it was moved to the Cardinal's Villa Borghese in September of that year.
Bernini did not exe
Reader's Guide
Apollo and Daphne is a key work in Bernini's early career and in the development of Baroque sculpture. It was designed to be viewed slightly from the right, where the observer could see the reactions of Apollo and Daphne simultaneously and understand the narrative in a single instant. From the left, neither face and little of Daphne's body is visible, revealing structural braces. From the right, many details seem impossibly light and fragile. The sculpture was later moved to the middle of the room, where it can be seen from all angles.
Critical reception has varied. A French traveler in 1839 called it 'astonishing both for mechanism of art and elaborateness.' One 19th-century literary journal considered it the only Bernini work worthy of lasting praise. An English travel writer in 1829 noted Bernini's technical skill but criticized Apollo's appearance as too like a shepherd. More recent historians have been much more positive: Robert Torsten Petersson calls it 'an extraordinary masterpiece,' and C.D. Dickerson III says it is among 'the high points of Bernini's entire career — and even of all seventeenth century sculpture.' The work helped propel Bernini to become the chief visual propagandist of the Counter-Reformation.
Did You Know?
- The cartouche with a moral aphorism was not added by Pope Urban VIII himself; it was commissioned by Cardinal Scipione Borghese and the aphorism is attributed to Maffeo Barberini (later Pope Urban VIII) but was not added
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Apollo and Daphne (Bernini)?
It is a life-sized marble sculpture carved by Gian Lorenzo Bernini between 1622 and 1625. The work freezes the dramatic instant when the nymph Daphne's body begins turning into a laurel tree as she flees the pursuing god Apollo.
Where can you see Apollo and Daphne (Bernini)?
The sculpture is on permanent display at the Galleria Borghese in Rome. It sits alongside several other early masterpieces by Bernini within that collection.
What myth does Apollo and Daphne (Bernini) depict?
The scene comes from Ovid's Metamorphoses, specifically the episode in which Daphne, chased by the love-struck Apollo, calls upon the earth to transform her into a laurel tree. Bernini chose to capture the exact moment her fingers and hair start changing into leaves and branches.
Why is Apollo and Daphne (Bernini) considered important?
Art historians regard it as a defining work of Baroque sculpture because of its dynamic composition, emotional intensity, and the technical skill required to render marble so it resembles flowing hair and delicate leaves. It served as the capstone piece in a series of commissions that helped establish Bernini's reputation and shape the direction of Baroque art.
Who commissioned Apollo and Daphne (Bernini)?
Cardinal Scipione Borghese ordered the sculpture as the final piece in a group of major commissions he gave to the young Bernini. It completed a set that included works such as The Rape of Proserpina, all of which remain in the Borghese collection.
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