Incompatible Truths

The Flaying of Marsyas, painted by Titian later in his life, explores the tension between beauty and brutality through the story of a bet between Apollo and Marsyas. As Marsyas faces a gruesome fate for losing, the artwork ignites debate over its interpretation. Renaissance Neoplatonists viewed it as a triumph of the spirit over the flesh, while others perceived it as a cautionary tale against hubris. The painting also features 'reason' playing music to the gods, highlighting the conflict between passion and rationality.