Apollo and the Serpent Python (from Set of Ovid's Metamorphoses)

Description

Apollo’s dynamic posture with his right arm pulled back and his left holding a bow indicates that he has just shot the arrow piercing the snarling serpent’s throat and body. Apollo’s triumph over powerful Python, the fearsome serpent offspring of Mother Earth or Gaia, boosted his ego tremendously, leading to his tragically unsuccessful pursuit of Daphne. The regally dressed hunter and his prey are seen alone in an environment teeming with natural life that includes a pumpkin patch. In the creation of this textile, the manufacturer used blue and yellow dye to create the color green which has since degraded, causing the pumpkins and their leaves to appear blue.

Provenance

The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1956–)

Apollo and the Serpent Python (from Set of Ovid's Metamorphoses)

Gobelins Manufactory

1700–1730

Accession Number

1956.325.3

Medium

tapestry weave

Dimensions

Overall: 328 x 393 cm (129 1/8 x 154 3/4 in.)

Classification

Tapestry

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Mrs. Matthias Plum