#peneus

Apollo and Daphne (1908), by J.W. Waterhouse

Yet another example where a nymph transforms into a tree (see also Phyllis and Demophoön, 1905). Here Daphne is fleeing from Apollo’s advances because she decided to remain a virgin.  To help her, she is turned into a laurel tree by her father, the river-god Peneus who is represented by the river in the background. Apollo continued to admire the laurel tree and used his eternal youth to prevent the leaves from withering.

The work is clearly inspired by the marble statue of Bernini from Galleria Borghese in Rome.  Waterhouse never managed to sell this painting and that is probably also because the art critics reviewed it in a very negative way.  They criticized in particular the feeble representation of Apollo.