Who painted Apollo and Daphne?

Apollo and Daphne was painted by Giulio Romano in 1522.

Where can I see Apollo and Daphne?

Apollo and Daphne is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Apollo and Daphne?

Apollo and Daphne is associated with Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Apollo and Daphne?

Museum-quality prints of Apollo and Daphne are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Apollo and Daphne

Giulio Romano , 1522

Apollo and Daphne is an ink drawing by the Renaissance artist Giulio Romano. It dates from 1522 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:by later hand on mount, lower center in pen and brown ink: N. Poussin; by later hand on mount, upper left verso in graphite: [?]. 13; by later hand on mount, upper left verso in graphite: 12 x 15; by later hand on mount, center verso in pen and brown ink: N. Poussin / From Earl Spencer's sale, June 13th 1811, Sold by / T. Philipe 10 am / Golden Square / Lot 615 c - i / s d; by later hand on mount, lower right verso in graphite: 15. 5 3/4 x 4 13 [superscript]
Markings: Marked:Label affixed to verso (now removed): P.&D. Colnaghi & Co., Ltd., London; inscribed in blue ink: APOLLO & DAPHNE: / DRAWING IN PEN BY GIULIO ROMANO (1499 - 1546) / Collections: / Earl Spencer, / (sale June 13, 1811, lot 615) / & E. Peter Jones. / Green Bank, / Chester. / Attributed to Poussin / in the Spencer Collection Sticker: blue plastic, stamped: R9

About this work

Overview

Giulio Romano’s drawing Apollo and Daphne was executed in 1522 with pen and brown ink on a sheet of green‑blue laid paper. The work captures a fleeting mythological encounter, rendered in a swift, gestural manner that emphasizes motion and tension between the figures. Its modest size and monochrome palette reflect the preparatory nature of many Renaissance studies.

Subject & Meaning

The composition portrays the climax of the Ovidian myth: Apollo, the god of archery, reaches for the fleeing nymph Daphne, whose outstretched arms suggest her transformation into laurel. The intertwined bodies and opposing twists convey the dramatic struggle between desire and escape, a theme frequently explored in sixteenth‑century Italian art.

Technique & Style

Romano employs rapid, sketchy strokes and cross‑hatching to model form and suggest foliage, creating a sense of kinetic energy. The brown ink, applied with a pen, varies in density, allowing subtle tonal shifts on the tinted paper. This approach aligns with the emerging Mannerist aesthetic, which favored exaggerated poses and expressive line over the balanced harmony of the High Renaissance.

History & Provenance

As a pupil of Raphael, Romano inherited a workshop tradition that prized drawing as a tool for design. The piece was collected by connoisseurs of the period, who prized his drafts for their inventive composition. Later, engraver Marcantonio Raimondi reproduced the drawing, helping to circulate Romano’s Mannerist idiom throughout Europe.

Context

Apollo and Daphne exemplifies the shift toward stylized, dynamic figures that characterized early Mannerism in Italy. Its dissemination through Raimondi’s prints contributed to the broader adoption of exaggerated anatomy and complex poses among artists beyond Rome, influencing subsequent generations who explored the tension between classical narrative and expressive form.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Giulio Romano

Giulio Pippi (c. 1499 – 1 November 1546), known as Giulio Romano (US: JOOL-yoh rə-MAH-noh( Italian: ) and sometimes known in French as Jules Romain, was an Italian painter and architect. He was a pupil of Raphael, and…