Apollo and Dafne

Name: Apollo and Dafne
Author: Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Year: 1622-1625
Style: Baroque
Location: Borghese Gallery


INTRODUCTION

This piece of art is from Bernini and it is called Apollo and Dafne. It was made in 17th century, after "The rapt of Proserpina" that was also from this author.
Bernini was born in Naples in the 16th century, and he was one of the most important sculptor and one of the developers of the Baroque. That happened because he could represent emotions in a very drmatic way and also he could trasmit you their feelings and also he could magnify their majesty. He died in Rome, where he spent most of his life working, in the year 1680.
The period in wich the piece was made was the Baroque, that in Italy started before than in Spain and where it was better and first made.

ANALYSIS

This piece is based on the mith of Apollo and Dafne, which says that Apollo wanted to compit against Eros to trow arrows. Eros got angry with the arrogance of Apollo, so he trew a golden arrow, which would made fall in love inmediatly to every person it hits to him and another in silver to Dafne that would made a rejection of love. So ona day Apollo meet Dafne and he have a crush on her, but acted with the contrary effect because of the arrow, so he startd to persecute her till she could not run more. Then she asked his father for help and he transformed the nymph into a laurel, so when he reached Dafne she started the transformation. Finally Apollo started to cry and said " If you cannot be my wife, you will be my favourite tree and your leaves, ever green, will crown the heads of the people in victory".
It was made in white marble, so you can see that it seems very pure and also very clean even if it is white and also it has a lot of years. The figures seem also very realistic because the stone was pulished to add bright. Bernini made a good job with the leaves of Dafne, because they seem translucent.
It has got a lot of relief and it is a free standing figure and it was carved in stone.

The author wanted to focus the light made a contrast that seems like tenebrismo in paintings in zones like the clothes, and also made pulished parts are very soft so you can fell it is real and also very dramatic.
This is an open sculture, because it was made to see it from different points of view. For example if you look it from the back part of the scupture in the picture you will see Dafne trasformed, but if you turn to another side you will see Dafne in the middle of the trasformation. Finally if you look the sculpture from the front side you will see the first part of the transformation.
Also you can see that this sculpture has curved lines and diagonals which brings dynamism to it. The Baroque can be notice in the realism of the sculpture, because the hair of Dafne is on movement like if the wind was blowing and also the clothes of Apollo are on movement.
The function of this work was for the Cardinal Borghese, at the first part of his career.
The subject matter is the Greek mithology, because it represents Apollo and Dafne.
The figures represent a lot of feelings, because it is from Baroque and it is one of the caracteristics.
This sculpture has all the characteristics that are in a Baroque style sculpture, because you can appreciate the tenebrism as I had said before in the hair and in the clothes. The naturalism and realism are very visible, because you can see the desesperation on the face of Apollo and the fear on the face of Dafne and you can see how realistic can it be because the hair is moved by air, and the trunk of the laurel. Also Bernini used the diagonals and the theatricality very well and that add more realism.

CONCLUSION

Bernini was one of the most famous sculptors of his period but other people like Pierre Puget and Hendrik FransVerbruggen made very good sculptures also.

I think that this piece is very beatiful because it is full of feelings and full of history and myths that are two things that I love. Also I have to be a bit critical, because Dafne had to transform because Apollo loved her, but I also have to be a bit polite because after the rejection of Dafne, Apollo said that she will be the crown of the people in victory sign whcih is a very beautiful thing also, so I think that this is very contradictory but very beauty without doubts.