Study for ‘Nymph on the Shoulders of Pan’ 1874

Arnold Böcklin made this preparatory sketch for ‘Nymph on the Shoulders of Pan’ using pencil and wash. Böcklin was a Swiss symbolist painter who looked to classical mythology for his subject matter. His choice of these figures is striking, as they represented a rejection of the rational and a celebration of the primal. Painted during the late 19th century, in a rapidly industrializing Europe, Böcklin's work can be understood as a reaction to the modern world. Pan, the god of the wild, and the nymphs, spirits of nature, represented an escape from the constraints of urban life and the confines of academic art. The loose sketch exemplifies the symbolist focus on suggestion and atmosphere. The history of institutions like the art academy is vital for understanding what Böcklin was reacting against, but to know more, one might consult biographical sources, and studies of the Symbolist movement. The meaning of this art is always contingent on its historical context.