Apollo flaying Marsyas
Statue
ca. 1719-23 (made)
ca. 1719-23 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The subject of this group is one of the most disturbing in classical mythology. When the god Apollo beat the satyr Marsyas in a musical contest, Apollo chose to skin Marsyas alive as a penalty for losing. This group and its companion, Zephyr and Flora (Museum no. A.5-1967), belonged to a series of garden sculptures supplied by Corradini to Augustus the Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony for his gardens in Dresden. Another group by Corradini fro the series, 'Truth and Sculpture', is now in the Château de Ferrières en Brie (near Paris).
Corradini was a virtuoso sculptor of marble, and although he was mainly active in the Veneto, also worked in Vienna and Rome. He was particularly renowned for his statues of veiled or partially veiled figures, such as his Modesty of about 1750. This figure and Zephyr and Flora exemplify his elegant style, rooted in a classical language, but also incorporating a rococo lightness and movement. Such a style was well suited to garden sculpture in the 18th century.
Corradini was a virtuoso sculptor of marble, and although he was mainly active in the Veneto, also worked in Vienna and Rome. He was particularly renowned for his statues of veiled or partially veiled figures, such as his Modesty of about 1750. This figure and Zephyr and Flora exemplify his elegant style, rooted in a classical language, but also incorporating a rococo lightness and movement. Such a style was well suited to garden sculpture in the 18th century.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Apollo flaying Marsyas |
| Materials and techniques | Carved marble |
| Brief description | Statue, marble, Apollo flaying Marsyas, by Antonio Corradini, ca. 1719-23 |
| Physical description | Marsyas is shown upside-down, while Apollo commences peeling off his skin. One putto sits by Apollo's lyre on the ground, while another looks over Apollo's shoulder. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Unique |
| Gallery label |
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| Object history | This group and its companion, Zephyr and Flora (Museum no. A.5-1967), belonged to a series of garden sculptures supplied by Corradini to Augustus the Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, for his gardens in Dresden. They were sold in 1836 and brought to England shortly after. The two groups were subsequently sold at auction by Foster & Son in London on 7th June 1843 (cat. no. 34 and 35). The sculptures reappeared in the gardens of Easton Hall, Lincolnshire, in 1902 (Country Life Illustrated, 25th January 1902, p. 116). The house was damaged during the Second World War and pulled down in 1951, while the garden was abandoned. Around those years, the sculptures were rediscovered by the art dealer Ralph Cox, who, at the time, did not know by whom they had been carved. He then sold them to Mallets of Bourdon House. The groups were finally purchased by the V&A in 1967 from The Clock House, Ascot. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The subject of this group is one of the most disturbing in classical mythology. When the god Apollo beat the satyr Marsyas in a musical contest, Apollo chose to skin Marsyas alive as a penalty for losing. This group and its companion, Zephyr and Flora (Museum no. A.5-1967), belonged to a series of garden sculptures supplied by Corradini to Augustus the Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony for his gardens in Dresden. Another group by Corradini fro the series, 'Truth and Sculpture', is now in the Château de Ferrières en Brie (near Paris). Corradini was a virtuoso sculptor of marble, and although he was mainly active in the Veneto, also worked in Vienna and Rome. He was particularly renowned for his statues of veiled or partially veiled figures, such as his Modesty of about 1750. This figure and Zephyr and Flora exemplify his elegant style, rooted in a classical language, but also incorporating a rococo lightness and movement. Such a style was well suited to garden sculpture in the 18th century. |
| Associated object | A.5-1967 (Series) |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.6-1967 |
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| Record created | April 26, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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