Daphne and Apollo, Edition of 4, Woodcut, 16" x 22", 2019
Daphne and Apollo
Apollo catches sight of the beautiful Daphne, her fair flesh framed in darkened foliage. Stricken with love from Eros’ golden arrow buried deep in his flank, Apollo won’t be denied. Terrified of her stalker, Daphne takes flight through the forest, but Apollo finds his prey so much the finer for the chase and sets to run her down. Tearing through the forest, with Apollo closing in and dogs nipping at her muddied heals, Daphne appeals to her father to save her. With one so rabid and divine in pursuit, Peneus knows only one sure way to keep her from her fate, and turns her into a laurel tree – stripping her of her beauty to save her from rape. Daphne’s hair turns to twigs as branches replace fingers and legs turn to trunks – horror fills her scream as she rushes by a reflecting pool and sees bark where smooth skin had been. In my retelling of this myth, Daphne gathers her boreal strength to repulse Apollo before the transformation is complete, disavowing her future to become the wreath that crowns victors and emperors for centuries to come.
Sources: Ovid Metamorphosis