Artwork
Apollo flaying Marsyas (Ovid, Metamorphoses, VI, 382–400)

Apollo flaying Marsyas (Ovid, Metamorphoses, VI, 382–400) is an unspecified painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jacob Adriaensz Backer. It dates from 1639 and is held in the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1639 by Jacob Adriaensz Backer, a Dutch Golden Age painter, this work illustrates a dramatic scene from Ovid's Metamorphoses.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Apollo punishing Marsyas, a satyr, by flaying him alive after losing a musical contest, conveying a scene of intense violence and agony.
Technique & Style
Characterized by dramatic composition and detailed human anatomy, the work showcases Backer's skillful use of chiaroscuro, adding depth and tension to the scene.
Context
Influenced by contemporaries like Rubens and Bloemaert, Backer's work is part of the Dutch Golden Age tradition, which often featured mythological and religious themes.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacob Adriaensz Backer (1608 – 27 August 1651) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He produced about 140 paintings in twenty years, including portraits, religious subjects, and mythological paintings. In his style, he was…



















