Daphne 1950

Andrew Bucci's print presents us with Daphne, mid-transformation, her body merging with the tree in stark black and white. Daphne's metamorphosis echoes through the ages. Ovid told of her escape from Apollo's desire, a story of resistance and change. Here, leaves sprout from her fingers; the trunk imprisons her torso. We see echoes of this flight in countless depictions of the nymph across centuries, each reflecting the anxieties and desires of its time. Consider Bernini's sculpture, where flesh turns to bark, a desperate plea frozen in marble. This symbol of transformation speaks to our own subconscious fears and longings, the desire to escape, to reinvent ourselves. Like a recurring dream, the story of Daphne resurfaces. This woodcut reminds us of the enduring power of myth, its ability to tap into the depths of human experience, evolving in response to our cultural and psychological needs.