Artwork
Ceres and Pan

Ceres and Pan is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Frans Snyders. It dates from 1615 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of these specific deities and their iconic symbols serves to visualize classical narratives regarding the bounty of the earth.
Frans Snyders' Ceres and Pan is a mythological painting that depicts the Roman goddess Ceres alongside the god Pan. The composition explicitly features Ceres holding a cornucopia, a traditional attribute symbolizing abundance and the harvest. As a work of mythology, the piece explores themes associated with agricultural fertility and the divine forces governing nature.
The inclusion of these specific deities and their iconic symbols serves to visualize classical narratives regarding the bounty of the earth.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil paint on canvas, this mythological work measures 178.5 cm in height and 280.5 cm in width. The composition features the goddess Ceres alongside a cornucopia, rendered within the Baroque style characteristic of the early seventeenth century. While the piece is attributed to Frans Snyders, some records associate it with Pieter Paul Rubens, reflecting the collaborative nature of Flemish workshop practices during this period. The painting dates to approximately 1615, though some sources suggest a range extending to 1620.
History & Provenance
The work now titled Ceres and Pan is dated to 1615 on internal records and is attributed to Frans Snyders.
It entered the Spanish royal collection during the early nineteenth century and is documented in the holdings of Ferdinand VII of Spain. By the mid-1810s the painting was recorded at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, where it remains in the permanent collection.
The painting Ceres and Pan is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado, located within the Royal Palace of Madrid. Its creation is dated to the period between 1615 and 1620. Historically, the work was owned by Ferdinand VII of Spain before entering the museum's holdings.
The source material does not provide a specific inventory or accession number for the piece, nor does it list any exhibition history.
Overview
Frans Snyders’ oil on canvas, dated 1615, presents a mythological tableau titled Ceres and Pan. The composition centers on a richly dressed female figure and a male companion amid a profusion of fruit and verdant foliage. A cloudy sky and distant silhouettes frame the scene, emphasizing themes of fertility and plenty. The work resides in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Frans Snyders or Frans Snijders was a Flemish painter of animals, hunting scenes, market scenes, and still lifes.












