Apollon flår Marsyas 1609 - 1670

Curator: Oof, that's... intense. It's like the Baroque turned up to eleven, all drama and flayed flesh. Editor: Indeed. We’re looking at a drawing by Karel van Mander III, dating roughly between 1609 and 1670, titled *Apollon flår Marsyas.* The medium consists of pen and ink on paper. You find it here in the collection of the SMK, the National Gallery of Denmark. Curator: Flår—is that Danish for flaying? 'Cause it looks like Apollo is *definitely* flaying someone. That poor upside-down dude! Editor: Precisely. This image depicts the mythological punishment of Marsyas, a satyr who dared to challenge Apollo, god of music, to a contest. Curator: Talk about hubris, eh? Although, judging by the look on Apollo’s face, he doesn't seem too thrilled about the job. He's all calm and composed, almost detached. Makes the brutality even more unsettling, doesn't it? Editor: His classical contrapposto pose emphasizes Apollo's detachment as a divine figure, standing in stark contrast to the grotesque agony of Marsyas. The formal construction divides the composition, highlighting the moral and aesthetic distance between the victor and the vanquished. Curator: Yeah, I get that. But also, isn’t there something deeply human about it? I mean, isn’t that the power of narrative art in general— the chance to really probe what happens to a person, or satyr, when faced with suffering? Maybe the artist is exploring both divine justice *and* empathy here? Editor: An interesting point. The sketch-like quality of the pen strokes actually intensifies the expression of emotionality in Marsyas’ body and face. One almost feels complicit as a viewer in a forbidden glimpse. Curator: Forbidden, yeah—definitely feels that way. Still, despite the graphic nature, I find myself drawn into the human elements here. It’s kind of strange, don’t you think? Editor: Precisely, and this tension highlights the power of art to hold the grotesque and the beautiful in dynamic balance. It’s an apt reminder of Baroque artistic aims in general. Curator: Right, right... And me? I’m reminded that sometimes, art helps us find empathy even in the most unsettling corners.