Pan en Syrinx 1724

Bernard Picart created this print called Pan en Syrinx, sometime between 1693 and 1733, using etching and engraving. It depicts a story from Ovid's Metamorphoses. The nymph Syrinx flees from the lustful god Pan, and prays to be transformed into reeds for protection. This piece invites us to consider the public role of art in 18th-century Europe. How does it use classical stories to comment on the social structures of its time? Is it a moralizing tale, warning against the dangers of unchecked desire, or is it more interested in the play of eroticism? What are the politics of its imagery? By studying the visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations, we can begin to unravel the complex meanings embedded in Picart's work. What was the status of women in this period and what are the implications of depicting them in such a way? Such questions can be explored through analysis of the work itself, and by researching the social and institutional contexts of its creation.