Pan c. 1530

Editor: This is Ugo da Carpi's "Pan," a print from around the early 16th century. It's fascinating how the artist uses light and shadow. What sort of symbolic weight does Pan carry in this image? Curator: Pan is the god of the wild, a liminal figure. The chiaroscuro technique—the strong contrast of light and dark—imbues him with both earthy vitality and a hint of the uncanny, playing with the collective memory of pagan deities in a Christian context. Does his half-human, half-animal form evoke a sense of harmony or discord to you? Editor: Discord, definitely. It makes me think about repressed desires. I hadn't considered the religious tension. Thank you!