Pan met twee menselijke wezens en dieren in een landschap met verspreide bomen c. 1892 - 1944

Ker Xavier Roussel created "Pan met twee menselijke wezens en dieren in een landschap met verspreide bomen," which translates to "Pan with two human beings and animals in a landscape with scattered trees," using etching. Born in 1867, Roussel came of age during a time of significant social and artistic upheaval in France, a period marked by the rise of modernity and the questioning of traditional values. Here, Roussel invokes classical mythology and the figure of Pan, a deity associated with nature, sexuality, and rustic music. The nude figures and animals cavorting in a sylvan landscape evoke a pre-industrial, pastoral world, seemingly untouched by the anxieties of modern life. Yet, it's impossible to ignore the loaded history of the nude in Western art, often used to project both idealized beauty and sexualized power dynamics. Does Roussel's image perpetuate these norms, or does it offer an alternative vision, one that emphasizes a harmonious relationship between humanity and nature? The image resonates with a longing for a simpler existence, yet it's also fraught with the complexities of representing the human body.