Pan and Syrinx
Historical Context
Jean François de Troy's Pan and Syrinx (1720) depicts the Ovidian myth in which the lustful god Pan pursues the nymph Syrinx, who is transformed into marsh reeds by river nymphs just as he catches her — reeds from which Pan then fashions his famous pipes. De Troy treats this dramatic moment with the sensuous elegance characteristic of French Rococo mythological painting, balancing erotic content with classical refinement. The painting dates from the height of the Regency period, when such mythological subjects with amorous themes were especially fashionable in Parisian collecting circles.
Technical Analysis
De Troy's fluid brushwork and warm, pearlescent flesh tones reflect the influence of Rubens filtered through the emerging French Rococo sensibility, with a lush landscape setting that enhances the painting's sensuous atmosphere.
Provenance
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio; (Herner Wengraf/Old Masters Galleries, London, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art); (Christie’s, London, sale, June 29, 1973, no. 93, sold to Herner Wengraf); George Ortiz [1927-2013], Geneva, consigned to Christie’s; Graziella Patiño de Ortiz-Linares [b. c. 1908-1980], to her son, George Ortiz; Page?1; (Galerie Charpentier, Paris, Chaix d’Est-Ange sale, Dec. 11, 1934, lot 46, sold to “Page”); Family of Gustave Chaix d’Est-Ange III, consigned to Galerie Charpentier; Gustave Chaix d’Est-Ange III [1863-1923], by descent to his family; Jeanne Sipière Chaix d’Est-Ange [1843-1917], to her son, Gustave Chaix d’Est-Ange III
