An Offering to Pan
c. 1810
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 42.3 x 53.2 cm (16 5/8 x 20 15/16 in.) sheet: 45.5 x 56.3 cm (17 15/16 x 22 3/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen
Accession Number
2012.92.331
Art Historical Context
Carl Wilhelm Kolbe's *An Offering to Pan*c. 1810) is a captivating etching on laid paper, the spirit of early 19th-century Romantic through its mythological theme. Kolbe, a skilled German engraver and etcher (1757–1835), specialized in intricate landscapes and classical subjects, drawing inspiration from ancient Greek lore. Here, the scene evokes a ritual tribute to Pan, the horned god of the wild, shepherds, and untamed nature—perfectly aligning with Romantic ideals of emotion, the sublime, and humanity's connection to the natural world. Rendered in etching, a technique where acid etches fin...