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Michael Bobo
Prof. Zimmerman
AS 450.673
25 June 2016
Apollo and Daphne
Ovids Metamorphoses opens in Book 1 with an erotic pastoral scene
between Apollo and Daphne. This twin narrative of pursuit and of resistance
appears through both masculine and feminine perspectives simultaneously.
Daphnes transformation into a laurel tree by her father preserves her
virginity at the cost of her existence as a nymph. This shocking
metamorphosis also leaves a mark upon Apollo and upon Roman history
through the adoption of the laurel wreath crown. Ovids account of Apollo
and Daphne demonstrates four ways unrequited love metaphorically
transformed both lover and beloved. Furthermore, the myth has inspired
European artists for the past five centuries to portray the intimacy and
immediacy of the narratives effects.
The first aspect of unrequited love entails the objectification of the
beloved by the lover. Cupid aimed two arrows at Apollo and Daphne which
provoked desire and repulsion for each. In his rivalry with Apollo, who just
slew the Python with his arrows, Cupid made sure that Apollo would not be
able to consummate his desire. Ovid states upon seeing Daphne, Phoebus
caught site of her, fell in love and longed to possess her (Book 1, lines 470475). In Apollos condition Daphne loses her worth as a unique creature.
This first step is hardly the most terrifying although it is tragic indeed. In

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Ovids tale, the metaphors grow in intensity and fervor after Apollos
perspective becomes fully warped.
Ovid then moves to a fire metaphor to describe Apollos passion. His
desire to possess her led to a wildfire inside which spread through to the
depths of his soul (Book 1, lines 495-496). Daphne once again gets reduced
in this metaphor as she becomes the means to quench the gods fire inside,
which inevitably anticipates his attempted rape unless someone intervenes.
As Apollo ogles her, Ovid describes her using a second, similar fiery
metaphor: her bright eyes burning and twinkling like stars (Book 1, lines
496-497). This heavenly fire lights up Daphnes eyes, which must have been
sparked by fear in her. Her flight from Apollo inevitably stems from his
intense sexual fire that makes her flee his gaze and his grasp.
The next part of the exchange involves loves pursuit of the beloved.
Apollo calls out to her referring to three types of predatory chase: a wolf to a
lamb, a lion to a deer and an eagle to a pair of doves (Book 1, lines 504-506).
Apollos objectification of Daphne and his subsequent passion makes him
dangerous in her eyes and in his own. At this point, he recognizes she is
running from fear of being captured, consumed and possessed by the
maddened god.
Love is a disease in the fourth metaphor Ovid uses. Apollo is
associated with medicinal cures, but this episode reveals a darker reality. He
realizes that his role as physician has been compromised by his obsessive
pursuit. His reputation as a healer has been marred by this chase. His own

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lovesickness cannot be remedied by his own medicinal arts: No herbs have

the power to cure the disease of my love (Book 1, line 521). The process is
complete. Apollos reason has been entirely conquered by his passion for
Daphne. The god of reason has succumbed to Cupids arrow.
Both Apollo and Daphne are metamorphosed through these four
metaphors. Apollo turns into a terrifying figure of passion and obsession. He
loses his refinement and sophistication and adopts a Dionysian persona in
this episode. Daphnes physical metamorphosis serves to protect her from
the gods grasp. Her father realizes that she will be an object in Apollos
possession. Their love cannot be healthy. Penes granted her wish to be
transformed in a most curious manner. Her wooden form as a laurel tree
makes her a literal manifestation of a frigid woman whose thick skin could
protect her from an overly aggressive suitor. Apollos embrace of the laurel
tree demonstrates his madness through this episode. He still sees the
beauty of Daphne despite her new form.
Apollos pursuit has inspired European artists from the Renaissance
through the early twentieth century. Each century artists returned to this
theme to present it in their own contexts which speaks powerfully to the
timeless nature of this tale of unrequited love. Most scenes depict the
moment she starts to be transformed while Apollo watches and tries to
rescue her from such a fate. Florentine artist Antonio del Pollaiuolo (14291498) painted one of the earlier versions of the story in an early Renaissance
manner that retains some of the Medieval modesty later versions of the work

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will discard (Figure 1). He makes Daphnes arms full branches in her
metamorphosis. Her fully clothed body is embraced by Apollo. Their eyes
meet directly in a fascinating juxtaposition of moods. Apollos desperate
eyes realize that his beloved will not be accessible in the near future.
Daphnes gaze appears defiant and satisfied. She understands her
transformation will protect her from future advances. Pollaiuolo paints a
wonderful background that reveals his prowess as a landscape painter.
Venetian master Veronese takes up the scene nearly a century later to
demonstrate his mastery of oils (Figure 2). Apollos bare chest exposes him
in the scene as he is symbolically laid bare by the loss of his beloved. He
backs up the transformation in his work contrasted with Pollaiuolo to create
greater immediacy. Daphnes fingers and hair sprout branches while her feet
form roots. Despite the proximity, this work possesses less emotive power
since Apollo looks up to the sky while Daphne looks away. Apollo appears
more resigned which weakens the impact of the transformation upon their
relationship.
Around sixty years after Veronese, Gian Lorenzo Bernini sculpts one of
the greatest representations of this subject (Figure 3). His bare breasted
Daphne and mostly nude Apollo perfectly represents their forms in a
masterful spiraling Baroque style. In a rather original conception of the
subject, Apollos arm reaches toward her stomach which is gradually being
transformed into the tree trunk. This provides Daphne with a hint of
modesty while retaining the Classical fleshiness and eroticism the

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predecessors lacked. Daphnes open mouth makes her either pained or in

ecstasy. Either way she is clearly moved physically by this change. Bernini
makes the chase more pronounced since Apollos outstretched arms attempt
to grab Daphne unsuccessfully. His healing powers cannot undo this
metamorphosis.
Over a century later, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo paints a Rococo version
based upon Berninis Baroque style (Figure 4). Tiepolo presents the back of
Alpheus prominently in the foreground which attempts to impede Daphne
(Dolfuss). He is supposed to heighten the tension in the scene by making
her trip forward, but the execution leaves the viewer wanting more contact
than just the crowding around her legs. Apollos left arm is to the right of
Daphne which misses her body. Her right leg twisted around Apollos waist
suggests their figures intertwined but in a less intimate embrace than
Berninis earlier work. Daphnes fingers are just starting to sprout branches
which backs up the scene further than each of the prior works discussed.
Tiepolos execution is not as effective psychologically despite this earliest
portrayal in the narrative. Apollo carries his bow and wears the laurel wreath
in his hair. He stares at her transformation, but once again her gaze is not
intimate as with Veroneses version. Her rather calm, blank stare leaves the
viewer wanting more. As with Bernini, her bare breasts face point directly at
the viewer but the eroticism is lacking. Tiepolo tries to measure up to
Berninis execution but his crowding the scene does not compensate for the
clear disconnect between Apollo and Daphne.

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Finally, John William Waterhouse portrays the subject in a preRaphaelite manner at the beginning of the twentieth century (Figure 5). His
work inverts the characters. Apollo appears on the left and Daphne on the
right in each of the earlier versions. Waterhouse paints Apollo on the right
and restores the original intimacy Pollaiuolo realized in the early
Renaissance. Their locked eyes heighten the tension between them.
Daphnes gaze and her bare cleavage heighten the erotic tension in the
moment. They are fixated on one another as the audience watches in a
voyeuristic manner. The viewer feels a bit uncomfortable peeking into a
moment of final embrace as Daphnes body is engulfed by roots and
branches. She is not being transformed from above but from the ground
which also inverts the narrative. Waterhouse departs from the tradition and
the text, but his work has an immediacy and a tenderness that delivers in
this moment of metamorphosis.
Apollo and Daphne offers literary and artistic value as a timeless
metaphor of unrequited love. Four aspects of Ovids work communicate the
transformative power of love in both parties. Apollo becomes infatuated with
the object of his desire, impassioned with a blaze of emotional fire, obsessed
in the pursuit of his prey, and sickened by his love for Daphne. Daphne is
likewise objectified, consumed by his passion, pursued terrifyingly and
repulsed at Apollos lovesick condition. Her metamorphosis into a laurel tree
kept her purity at the cost of her existence as a nymph. This powerful myth
has inspired great artistic portrayals by masterful artists for over five

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hundred years like Pollaiuolo, Veronese, Bernini, Tiepolo and Waterhouse.

Their pursuit of this subject affirms its place among the great narratives of
the Roman world which captivate imaginations with an Apollonian frenzy.

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Fig. 1. Antonio del Pollaioulo, Apollo and Daphne, 1470-1480.

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Fig. 2. Paolo Veronese, Apollo and Daphne, 1560-1565.

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Fig. 3. Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Apollo and Daphne, 1622-1625.

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Fig. 4. Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Apollo and Daphne, 1744-1745.

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Fig. 5. John William Waterhouse, Apollo and Daphne, 1908.

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Works Cited
Bernini, Gian Lorenzo. Apollo and Daphne. 1622-1625. Galleria Borghese.
Wikimedia
Commons. Web. 20 June 2016.
Dolfuss, Corinne. Apollo and Daphne. n.d. Louvre Museum Official Website.
Web. 27 June
2016. < http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/apollo-and-daphne>
Ovid. Metamorphoses. Trans David Raeburn. New York: Penguin, 2004. Print.
Pollaiolo, Antonio del. Apollo and Daphne. 1470-1480. National Gallery,
London. Wikimedia
Commons. Web. 20 June 2016.
Tiepolo, Giovanni Battista. Apollo and Daphne. 1744-1745. Louvre.
Wikimedia Commons. Web.
20 June 2016.
Veronese, Paolo. Apollo and Daphne. 1560-1565. San Diego Museum of Art.
Wikimedia
Commons. Web. 20 June 2016.
Waterhouse, John William. Apollo and Daphne. 1908. Private Collection.
Wikimedia Commons.
Web. 20 June 2016.