Apollo & Daphne (Alt)

In the traditional myth Apollo, struck by Cupid’s golden arrow, falls in love with Daphne, a nymph devoted to chastity. She is pierced by a lead arrow thus induced to recoil from him. As he pursues her, she flees, calling on her father, the river god Peneus, to save her. At the moment he reaches her, she is transformed into a laurel tree. Apollo, grieving yet devoted, claims the laurel as his sacred tree and symbol forever its decoration adorning athletes and artists forever more. But, what if, in this alternative version that lead arrow had missed its mark, what then?

The arrow missed its mark.
She did not root—nor run.
The laurel lay unclaimed.
Had love bloomed or broken?
Even the gods waited.

Oil on canvas, 2026
Size: 28” x 24”
Price: £850

© Robert Walker 2026
@theartistrobert