Pan et Syrinx c. 17th century

Stefano della Bella created this etching called Pan et Syrinx, a tiny image on a copper plate, where dynamic lines bring the scene to life. The composition, with its frenzied energy, presents Pan in pursuit of Syrinx, half-submerged in what appears to be a marsh of tall reeds. Della Bella uses hatching and cross-hatching to create depth, describing the figures with stark clarity. Look at the frantic energy conveyed through the etching; Pan's desperation is palpable as he reaches out, his form defined by strong contours. Syrinx, in contrast, appears to dissolve into the landscape, her figure less defined, almost spectral. This work plays with the semiotic dichotomy between the pursuer and the pursued, the solid and the ethereal, questioning fixed identities. The marsh is not merely a backdrop, but an active participant, blurring boundaries and destabilizing the narrative. Della Bella invites us to contemplate how form embodies and challenges traditional notions of identity, desire and transformation.