Apollo and Attendants Flaying Marsyas

The satyr Marsyas, a goatlike woodland god, has been tied to a tree and is about to be skinned alive. His crime is pride. In this ancient myth, Marsyas challenges Apollo, god of music and famed for his skill with the lyre (a small harp), to a musical contest after finding a musical pipe. Apollo wins and names Marsyas’ punishment. Though professional tapestry weaving was decidedly male dominated, this finely woven tapestry was made under the direction of a woman. Maria della Riviera came from a Flemish (present-day Belgium) family of tapestry weavers and directed one of the Barberini workshops—established by Cardinal Francesco Barberini (1597–1679) and famed for their craftsmanship—from 1653 to 1678.