Apollo and Daphne c. 16th century

Curator: This is Agostino Veneziano's "Apollo and Daphne," made around 1515. Look closely at the fine lines of the engraving—such detail! Editor: There’s a raw, almost anxious energy to the chase depicted here. It’s like Daphne’s metamorphosis is happening right before our eyes, but there's something unsettling about the whole scene. Curator: The story of Apollo and Daphne is a potent allegory about desire, pursuit, and transformation. The laurel tree she becomes is, of course, a symbol of poetic and athletic triumph. Editor: I guess I'm just focusing on the violence here. It feels like a very male vision of a woman's escape, framed as some kind of honor. Curator: Perhaps the artist sought to capture the complex interplay between beauty, power, and the limits of control. Editor: That’s a way of putting it. It leaves me with a lot to think about, particularly how these stories continue to resonate.