Apollo and Daphne
c. 1916/1919
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 82.55 × 73.34 cm (32 1/2 × 28 7/8 in.) framed: 88.27 × 78.11 × 7.62 cm (34 3/4 × 30 3/4 × 3 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CAB
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Gift of Miss Emily Sargent and Mrs. Francis Ormond, sisters of the artist)
Accession Number
2014.136.69
Art Historical Context
Behold *Apollo and Daphne*, a captivating oil on canvas by John Singer Sargent, painted around 1916–1919. This 32½ × 28⅞-inch masterpiece draws from Ovid's *Metamorphoses*, depicting the fateful moment when the nymph Daphne transforms into a laurel tree to evade the pursuing god Apollo. Sargent, renowned for his virtuoso portraits of high society, here ventures into classical mythology, showcasing his mastery of dramatic tension and fluid form. Created late in Sargent's career amid the upheavals of World War I, the painting exemplifies his command of oil techniques—vibrant brushwork, luminous...
About the Artist
John Singer Sargent · 1856–1925
John Singer Sargent, born on January 12, 1856, in Florence to American expatriate parents FitzWilliam Sargent, an eye surgeon and medical illustrator, and Mary Newbold Singer, an amateur artist, enjoyed a nomadic childhood across Europe. His mother nurtured his artistic inclinations with sketchbooks and museum visits, while he received early watercolor lessons from German landscape painter Carl We...