Poet Gabriele Tinti Brings Tiepolo's Apollo and Phaethon to Life at LACMA

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) hosted a poetry reading by Italian poet Gabriele Tinti, inspired by Giambattista Tiepolo's painting 'Apollo and Phaethon,' currently not on view due to museum expansion. Actor Jamie McShane, known for roles in 'Sons of Anarchy' and 'Mank,' performed Tinti's verses. The event aimed to refocus attention on the artwork and was supported by Fondazione Cultura e Arte (Fondazione Terzo Pilastro – Internazionale) and the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles. Tinti's ekphrastic poetry responds to the painting's depiction of Phaethon's plea to his father Apollo, exploring themes of ambition and consequence. The collaboration between Tinti and McShane emerged from a mutual friend, actor Vincent Piazza. Tinti hopes the project rekindles public interest in myth as a generative force, moving beyond academic ekphrasis toward a participatory, ritualistic experience. The reading was conceived as a journey into the museum's storage spaces.