Mythological Scene

Italian artist Dosso Dossi created this mysterious painting around 1524, filling it with visual clues that scholars have debated for centuries. The male figure on the right is the Greek god Pan, identifiable by the syrinx (pan flute) in his left hand. A sleeping nude in the foreground may be the nymph Echo, who spurned Pan for Narcissus. An old woman, perhaps the goddess Gea (Earth), shields her from harm.

The painting underwent considerable changes during its creation. X-rays reveal that Dossi originally included an armored woman, painted over with landscape, then later uncovered during 19th-century restoration. He also removed a suit of armor hanging from a lemon tree, a cello held by one figure, and altered facial expressions. The canvas was even cut down by six inches on the left.

Dossi served as court painter to the Este Dukes of Ferrara from 1514 until his death, producing many mythological subjects with dreamlike atmospheres. This large work, measuring 163 by 145 centimeters, now hangs at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.