Apoll verfolgt Daphne durch einen alten Wald 

Franz Kobell's "Apoll verfolgt Daphne durch einen alten Wald" depicts Apollo's pursuit of Daphne through an ancient forest, and it was made using pen and brown ink with gray wash. This drawing gives a sense of the changing cultural attitudes to the natural world during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries in Germany. It evokes the sublime qualities of nature, a theme of increasing interest to artists during the Romantic era. It also alludes to classical mythology, a common source of inspiration for artistic and literary themes at this time. We see Apollo chasing Daphne, who is about to transform into a laurel tree in order to escape him. To fully appreciate this work, we can consult sources such as Kobell’s other landscape drawings. By considering the institutional history of the Städel Museum, and how art was collected and displayed in this period, we can develop a richer understanding of the work’s enduring appeal.