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Statue of Pan, 1st century a.d.
Roman
Marble; H. 26 5/8 in. (67.6 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Bothmer Purchase Fund, 1992 (1992.11.71)

Curator Comment

Pan, the goat god, is shown here in his usual form as a shaggy-haired, bearded man with the legs, horns, and tail of a goat. His head is turned sharply to the right, and his back is bent under the weight of a vessel once held on his left shoulder. The statue was probably designed as part of a fountain complex, with water gushing from the now-missing container; a large hole drilled through the statue must have held a water pipe. The strong torsion of the figure and the exaggerated facial expression are typical of the high baroque style developed during the second century b.c., especially in the Hellenistic kingdom of Pergamon. Cavorting woodland creatures such as Pan, nymphs, and satyrs were popular subjects. The Romans also enjoyed these works and commissioned marble copies, as well as new creations, in this flamboyant style to decorate their villa gardens.

Elizabeth J. Milleker, associate curator, Department of Greek and Roman Art