Her fingertips reach toward the gods for help that will
ultimately damn her. Even now the
fingers are mixed with the buds and branches of trees. Below, it becomes clear that what initially
appears to be the gnarled branch of a tree is actually the hair of a woman,
whose face is turning away and hidden from view, fitting, as there is no
consequence for this kind of behavior for a god. Instead, all one can really see of this woman
is her nude torso, extended away from the man obscured by her body, which is
slightly bent at the waist. A hand
reaches around and rests upon her stomach.
From this hand extends a beam of rough bark that runs in sharp contrast between
her smooth legs and on her waist, slowly engulfing her. Already, leaves are starting to emerge along
the newly formed trunk. Her feet are
nestled among the flowers on the rocks upon which she is standing, but they
have not yet changed into them. Connected to the reaching hand is a body
obscured both by shadow and by the fleeing woman. All that is visible is the cloth he is
wearing, which has been caught in the wind, an indication of the chase that has
led to this. Also visible is an
outstretched leg of a man running. He
will not suffer for his actions. From
here, he is not identifiable. And all
one can make out of her is the anguish in reaction to her fate.
(Bernini’s Daphne and
Apollo, Borghese Gallery)
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