Apollo Flaying Marsyas

According to myth, the overconfident satyr (half-goat, half-man) Marsyas challenged Apollo, god of the arts, to a musical duel. The defeated Marsyas was tied to a tree and skinned alive in punishment for his pride. Foggini’s bronze captures the moment after Apollo’s victory as the bound Marsyas cries out in agony while the god makes the first incision. The satyr’s anguish is echoed by the gnarled branches; Apollo’s wrath is manifested in his billowing drapery.