Apollo and Daphne, Carrara marble (1622–1625)
Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680) captures the climactic moment from Ovid's Metamorphoses in this life-sized Baroque marble.
Struck by Cupid's golden arrow, the sun god Apollo relentlessly pursues Daphne, a huntress of Artemis who had sworn to remain chaste. As he reaches for her, she cries out to her father, the river god Peneus, for protection from her pursuer.
The sculpture depicts the exact second her prayer is answered and her transformation begins. Her fingers sprout delicate leaves, and her toes take root in the earth just as Apollo's hand touches her side.
The work is celebrated for its theatricality and emotional intensity, contrasting Apollo's look of bewildered desire with Daphne's expression of pure horror.
Loc. Galleria Borghese, Rome, Italy. Dim. height 243 cm (95.7 in)