Apollo and Daphne by Bernini

Located in Rome's Borghese Gallery, Apollo and Daphne is a life-sized statue by the Baroque sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The story of Apollo and Daphne comes from Greek and Roman mythology and is a tale of doomed, unrequited love. The myth was recounted by the Roman poet Ovid in the first century AD in a book called the Metamorphoses which returned to popularity during the Renaissance thanks to the printing press. Ancient texts became popular and more widespread among the cultured elite who commissioned artworks based on mythological themes to show their culture, learning and wealth.

Bernini was just 24 when he began the statue for his patron, the wealthy Cardinal Scipione Borghese. It was completed three years later; an impressive feat when we consider he sculpted his version of David at the same time! Alongside the ‘Rape of Persephone’, completed a few years earlier, the Apollo and Daphne is truly a sight to behold. Bernini may be called the Michelangelo of the 1600s but his ability to create drama, passion and flesh out of hard stone was unprecedented and is still awe-inspiring today.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s sculpture of Apollo and Daphne

The Story of Apollo and Daphne

Apollo was the god of archery, music, healing, and divination. He had become enraptured by Daphne, a beautiful, but chaste woodland Nymph, because of the intervention of Eros or Cupid—the god of erotic love, attraction, and desire - who is often portrayed as a chubby cherub boy with a bow and arrows. 

Cupid's bow was lethal; golden-tipped arrows inflamed the hearts of those they hit; whereas lead arrows created aversion and made the subject want to run away. One day, Apollo found Cupid cleaning his bow; he mocked and humiliated the winged god, saying that a child had no business using a weapon of war (the weapon of Apollo). Cupid was furious and vengefully fired a golden arrow at Apollo and a lead one at Daphne. 

Apollo, inflamed with love, chased Daphne, determined to have her. Daphne, however, was repulsed by him and tried to flee. In desperation she cried out to her father, the river god Peneus, to save her, asking him to ‘destroy the beauty that has injured me, or change the body that destroys my life’. Bernini’s sculpture captures the moment when roots sprout from her toes, leaves sprout from her fingers, and her body is enveloped in bark.

On the base of the sculpture is a Latin couplet composed by Maffeo Barberini, a gifted poet who was later to become Pope Urban VIII. It seems this was added as a moral overtone to explain the concentration of pagan-inspired artworks in a Cardinal’s villa. 

Quisquis amans seguitur fugitivae gaudia formae fronde manus implet baccas seu carpit amaras

Those who love to pursue fleeting forms of pleasure, in the end find only leaves and bitter berries in their hands.

The Latin-reading ancient Romans among you might have picked up on the verb 'carpit', meaning 'to pluck.' Sound familiar? That's because we use this for our name: Carpe Diem—seize the day!

In the Borghese Gallery, the sculpture is displayed in Room IIII where it has been since 1625. Today the sculpture stands in the centre of the room and we can walk around it to enjoy it from every angle.

Analysis of Bernini's Statue of Apollo and Daphne

Bernini’s skill is captivating; as you walk around the sculpture Daphne’s metamorphosis into a tree unfolds, from one side we see a beautiful young woman being chased by her relentless adolescent pursuer.

Daphne's body is visible in profile—exposed to us; hidden from her pursuer—while her face is turned slightly to the right. What Apollo should be able to see is Daphne's expression of fear rather than her exposed body, the object of his desire. But as we know, he is blinded by his lust and displays no emotion. From the other side her body is barely visible as it is almost entirely covered in bark. Originally the statue of Apollo and Daphne. was placed against a wall, so the viewer could only see the tree side.

Apollo and Daphne by Gian Lorenzo Bernini

The painted ceiling tells the whole story in pictorial form (1780). The theme in the room continues with a painting of Apollo by Dosso Dossi dated a century earlier. This represents the continuation of the myth after Daphne becomes a laurel tree again taken from Ovid:

‘Since you cannot be my bride, you must be my tree! Laurel, with you my hair will be wreathed, with you my lyre, with you my quiver. You will go with the Roman generals when joyful voices acclaim their triumph, and the Capitol witnesses their long processions.’

Apollo by Donno Dossi (1525)

Visit the Borghese Gallery with Carpe Diem Rome

If this has piqued your interest and you would like to see the artwork in Rome, there are a few things to bear in mind. The Borghese Gallery is a private museum and has timed entrances every two hours. Only a limited amount of people can enter the gallery, which means you have a finite amount of time to enjoy everything on display. That's why we recommend a Borghese Gallery tour to enhance your visit and ensure that you see the most significant pieces in each room. 

Your guide will explain the collection as it was conceived by the man who started the gallery; bringing the artworks to life by giving the socio-political background of the time as well as sharing stories about the acquisition of these works (not always legally) and about the lives of the artists who created them.

Want to see Bernini's Daphne and Apollo sculpture in real life? Join us on our VIP Borghese Gallery tour. Can't get enough of Roman sculpture? Check out our blog on the famous statues in Rome.