Apollo and Marsyas and the Judgment of Midas: at right Midas with the ears of an ass resting his hand against a tree stump, at center Apollo holds a flaying knife, at left the flayed corpse of Marsyas roped to a tree, soldiers and satyrs beyond 1581

Editor: So, this is Melchior Meier’s engraving, “Apollo and Marsyas and the Judgement of Midas,” created around 1581. Wow, it's incredibly graphic and detailed! I'm immediately struck by how... well, gruesome it is. What do you make of this scene, and what is Meier trying to convey here? Curator: Gruesome is one word, my friend! To me, this piece dives headfirst into the complexities of hubris, divine retribution, and artistic rivalry. You see, we're witnessing the aftermath of a musical contest between Apollo, god of music, and Marsyas, a satyr. Apollo, predictably, wins. The flaying? That’s his rather… *assertive* way of punishing Marsyas for daring to challenge his musical prowess. But beyond the gore, think of it as a meditation on power and the sometimes brutal price of artistic ambition. What do you make of Midas’s presence in the composition? Editor: The guy with the donkey ears? I guess he judged against Apollo, or something? To me it just seems like an overly harsh response to a simple music competition. Curator: Exactly. Midas gets those lovely ears for questioning Apollo’s judgement. Seems a tad sensitive, doesn’t it? But look at the way Meier renders everything with such detail. It’s as if he’s forcing us to confront the raw, unfiltered consequences of challenging the established order. Almost like a political commentary masked as mythology. Do you think artists still explore these power dynamics today? Editor: Oh, definitely! I think artists are always pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo, maybe without the flaying these days, hopefully! Curator: Right? Imagine if Twitter existed back then… Well, thinking about ambition and the costs associated, in art, in politics... It's quite chillingly relevant, even today. Editor: Absolutely, this artwork has certainly offered more than meets the eye! I didn't anticipate discovering such potent themes lurking within. Thanks for illuminating that.