more info and images at the bottom

This image is after an illustration in the 1497 edition of Ovid's Metamorphoses In Ovid's book he briefly describes the story of Apollo and Marsyas. Marsyas learned to play the flute, which Minerva had discarded, and then challenged Apollo to a musical contest in which the winner could do as he wished with the loser. When the muses declared Apollo the winner, he flayed Marsyas. This story apparently illustrates the contrast between the "serene and intellectual" strings and the "emotional and rustic" wind instruments.

These images are unusual due to the fact that, rather than playing the kithara, Apollo plays the lira da braccio. Marsyas, instead of the aulos, plays a Bagpipe!

from Ovid's Metamorphoses.

Isn't "flaying" sort of a harsh consequence for losing a music contest?!