Pan Reclining c. 1610

Peter Paul Rubens rendered this drawing of Pan Reclining with pen and brown ink, accented by brown and red wash, and white gouache. Here, the half-human, half-animal god is in repose, clutching his syrinx, the pan flute. Pan, ruler of the wild, is a figure who embodies primal urges and chaos, who has been viewed across time as a symbol of disorder. Yet, if we look back to ancient Greece, we see Pan was revered as a protector of shepherds and flocks. Over time, Pan’s image shifted with the advent of Christianity, becoming conflated with the image of the devil. Even today, the fear and fascination surrounding Pan continue to echo within our collective consciousness, surfacing in various forms, reminding us of the untamed aspects of human nature and its perpetual dance between order and chaos.