Apollo and Daphne

Piero del Pollaiuolo's Apollo and Daphne, painted around 1470 and now in the National Gallery, London, depicts the myth of Apollo pursuing the nymph Daphne, who is transformed into a laurel tree. Piero was the younger brother and workshop partner of Antonio del Pollaiuolo, though less celebrated for his anatomical dynamism. The mythological subject reflects the growing interest in classical themes among Florentine humanist patrons in the circle of Lorenzo de' Medici.

Piero's technique shows the influence of his brother Antonio's anatomical precision, with the figures set against a detailed Florentine landscape, though with somewhat less dynamic energy than Antonio's characteristic action poses.