Apollo og Daphne 1540 - 1585

Editor: We are looking at “Apollo and Daphne,” an engraving dating back to sometime between 1540 and 1585, by Jacques Androuet. The image depicts a really dynamic scene, all swirling lines and figures. I can really feel the desperation of the chase, Apollo reaching out and Daphne mid-transformation. What stands out to you most in this piece? Curator: It strikes me as a perfect storm of Mannerist aesthetics, that elongated figuration, that palpable tension. But beneath the surface, it's a clever meditation on desire and metamorphosis, wouldn't you say? Notice how Androuet uses the linear quality of the engraving to suggest movement – Daphne’s turning into the laurel tree… it is both beautiful and melancholic, capturing that bittersweet moment. Have you ever considered what Daphne might have felt? Editor: Melancholic is a good word for it. Trapped, maybe? And a bit unfair – she didn’t ask for this divine attention. The story is quite brutal when you think about it, now that you bring it up. It almost feels like Apollo's touch is violating. Curator: Indeed. And isn’t that ambiguity what keeps us returning to these old stories? Androuet wasn't merely illustrating Ovid, but also questioning power, and maybe, even the male gaze, in a way. It is, perhaps, a testament to art’s power to complicate, not simplify. What new avenues has it opened up for you, perhaps? Editor: It has changed my perspective on Daphne, to be sure. I will have to read the myth with these reflections in mind now. It makes you wonder about other artworks depicting classical myths and if the artists grappled with such nuances. Curator: Precisely! And perhaps, in the next artwork, we will try and tease those nuances apart. Until then, onward!