Apollo & Daphne

Early in Bernini's career, an enthusiastic patron of the arts, Cardinal Scipione Borghese, commissioned this monument. A stunning sculpture showing Apollo and Daphne's unwelcome love retells one of Greek mythology's most renowned episodes.

This life-size statue of three Greek deities exemplifies Bernini's craftsmanship. Few artists have achieved such precision in sculpting both masculine and female forms. It is one of his most well-known works and is still admired by art enthusiasts and critics. Because the image portrays the culmination of Apollo and Daphne's narrative, it appears as though Daphne will eventually escape if we stay too long at this statue.