Description
Like his colleague Claude Lorrain, Poussin depicted historical and mythological subjects in landscapes inspired by the countryside around Rome. His themes were often complex, and frequently incorporated witty allusions to classical texts. Here, a playful cupid tugs Pan, the goatlegged Greek god of the woods, toward Venus, the goddess of love. The painting cleverly illustrates the Latin phrase amor vincit omnia, or “love conquers all” (in Greek, pan means “all”). The woodland setting represents the idyllic paradise of Pan’s home.
Provenance
Cassiano dal Pozzo (Rome, Italy) to Gabriele dal Pozzo (1695, 1740); Lord Radstock, sold, Christie's, London, May 13, 1826, lot 27); Private collection, sold Phillips, London, 1829); Lord Northwick, Thirlestane House, near Cheltenham, by 1837, sold, Phillips, London, August 24, 1859, lot 1809); J. S. W.S. Erle Drax, Esq., Olantigh Towers, Wye, Kent, sold Christie's,London, February 19 and 21, 1910, lot 105, to Cohen; Cohen; David Horner, London, by 1925; Durlacher Brothers (London, England), sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1926.
Accession Number
1926.26
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
Framed: 121 x 152 x 7 cm (47 5/8 x 59 13/16 x 2 3/4 in.); Unframed: 97 x 127.5 cm (38 3/16 x 50 3/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Gift of J. H. Wade
