Apollo and Daphne

The life-sized Baroque marble sculpture is housed in the Galleria Borghese in Rome. It was commissioned by Cardinal Scipione Borghese and completed between 1622 and 1625. Visitors need to book a timed ticket to enter the museum to view it.

The artwork illustrates a narrative from Ovid's Metamorphoses, capturing the exact moment the nymph Daphne transforms into a laurel tree to escape the pursuing god Apollo. The intricate carving shows bark enveloping her torso and leaves sprouting from her fingers. Bernini perfectly freezes this dramatic, fleeting moment in solid stone.

Bernini exploited the translucency of the high-quality Carrara marble to create incredibly realistic, delicate textures. He carved the laurel leaves so thin that they appear fragile and organic, contrasting with the highly polished, fleshy texture of the figures. This virtuosic technique made the cold stone seem alive and breathing.

Cardinal Scipione Borghese commissioned the statue partly to demonstrate his wealth and artistic dominance in Rome. The piece also carried a moralizing message for viewers, warning against the foolish pursuit of earthly desires. Along with his other Bernini commissions, it was designed to awe guests visiting the Borghese Villa.