1720
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Pan and Syrinx is a 1720 unspecified by Jean-François de Troy, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see lush green woods and a half-man, half-goat god chasing a fleeing nymph. Her dress snags on a bush as she runs. The artist shows off fancy skin tones and soft fabric folds. It’s all done with thick paint on canvas, not thin glazes. If you like this, try another by Jean François de Troy at The Cleveland Museum of Art.
Subjects drawn from classical mythology posed a challenge for painters: they demanded skill in depicting the human body in complex poses, as well as knowledge of ancient texts and an ability to interpret them imaginatively. Jean François de Troy’s rich colors and voluptuous figure types were ideal for depicting the sorts of mythological subjects favored by his elite patrons, which generally focused on themes of love. In a myth recounted in the Roman poet Ovid’s Metamorphoses , the nymph Syrinx fled from the lecherous advances of the god Pan. Trapped at the edge of a river, she begged for a…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Jean-François de Troy (27 January 1679, Paris – 26 January 1752, Rome) was a French Rococo easel and fresco painter, draughtsman and tapestry designer.
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