Who painted Flaying of Marsyas?

Flaying of Marsyas was painted by Bronzino in 1531.

Where can I see Flaying of Marsyas?

Flaying of Marsyas is held by Hermitage Museum.

What movement is Flaying of Marsyas?

Flaying of Marsyas is associated with Mannerism.

Artwork

Flaying of Marsyas

Bronzino , 1531

Flaying of Marsyas is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Bronzino. It dates from 1531 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Bronzino’s Flaying of Marsyas illustrates the myth in which the satyr Marsyas, having rashly challenged Apollo to a musical contest, is punished by being flayed alive. The painting shows Apollo, the god of music, executing the punishment while Marsyas lies bound, emphasizing the stark contrast between divine order and mortal hubris. By depicting this episode, the work underscores the traditional moral warning against pride and the presumption of equaling the gods, a theme central to Renaissance mythological imagery.

Technique & Style

Bronzino’s Flaying of Marsyas is an oil painting on canvas dated 1531.

Bronzino’s Flaying of Marsyas is an oil painting on canvas dated 1531.

The composition centers on the violent mythological scene, with Apollo positioned above the prostrate satyr Marsyas, knife in hand, flanked by an attendant who holds a bag for the removed skin. Bronzino employs a refined Florentine Mannerist idiom, marked by elongated, muscular figures and a saturated, polished palette that heightens the scene’s dramatic tension. Forms are modeled with subtle chiaroscuro, while the background recedes into a dark, indistinct void that isolates the action and focuses attention on the anatomical drama below.

History & Provenance

The *Flaying of Marsyas* is an oil painting on canvas created by the Florentine artist Agnolo di Cosimo, known as Bronzino, in 1531. The work depicts the mythological scene where Apollo skins the satyr Marsyas following a musical contest. It currently resides in the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The painting's ownership history traces back to the collection of Antonio Litta in Milan, Italy, from which it was acquired before entering the Hermitage in 1865.

Apollo Flaying Marsyas, Jusepe de Ribera

Artist & collection

Artist

Bronzino

Agnolo di Cosimo (Italian:; 17 November 1503 – 23 November 1572), usually known as Bronzino (Italian: Il Bronzino ) or Agnolo Bronzino, was an Italian Mannerist painter from Florence.