Hendrick van Balen the Elder and Follower of Jan Brueghel the Elder, 'Pan pursuing Syrinx', possibly after 1615
About the work
Overview
The god Pan pursues the virginal nymph Syrinx, who flails her arms as she teeters on the edge of the river Ladon, a frog escaping out of her path. She is moments from being transformed by river nymphs into reeds, in answer to her prayers to escape her unwanted suitor. Pan would later use these reeds to fashion his musical pipes.
The story of Pan and Syrinx is recounted by the Roman poet Ovid in Metamorphoses, a long verse narrative that retells ancient Greek and Roman legends. The figures were probably painted by the Flemish artist Hendrick van Balen the Elder and the landscape by an artist working in the style of Jan Brueghel the Elder, who specialised in painting landscapes and flowers. The composition was probably inspired by a print of the same subject by Hendrick Goltzius.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Pan pursuing Syrinx
- Artist
- Hendrick van Balen the Elder and Follower of Jan Brueghel the Elder
- Artist dates
- 1575? - 1632; 1568 - 1625
- Date made
- possibly after 1615
- Medium and support
- oil on copper
- Dimensions
- 25 × 19.4 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1860
- Inventory number
- NG659
- Location
- Room 27
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Frame
- 17th-century Dutch Frame
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Gregory Martin, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Flemish School: circa 1600–circa 1900’, London 1986; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Exhibition history
-
2010Sensualité et Volupté: le corps féminin dans la peinture flamande du XVIe et XVIIe siècleMusée départemental de Flandre23 October 2010 - 23 January 2011
-
2016George Shaw: My Back to NatureSouthampton City Art Gallery4 May 2018 - 1 September 2018
Bibliography
-
1986Martin, Gregory, National Gallery Catalogues: The Flemish School, circa 1600 - circa 1900, London 1986
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.