Pan (de fluitspeler; middenstuk triptiek 'Lente')

This painting exudes an idyllic atmosphere and features a rich palette of colours in which cool greens predominate. The work can be divided into two sections, a separation marked by the reeds in the foreground and the boundary of the line of trees above. On the right, Pan’s face is turned towards us. It seems as though he has looked up from playing his flute and is staring at us. In Greek mythology he is not only the tutelary deity of shepherds, but also the passionate and sensual god of the forests. The section on the left is lighter in tone and depicts the deformed figure of a naked woman, surrounded by lush greenery: the awakening of nature in the springtime. Under the spell of Pan’s music, as can be seen from the angle of her head, the woman lets her clothing fall to the ground. This action lends the work a charge that is both erotic and symbolic. She is returning to a state of innocence, of paradise. The museum’s collection contains two drawings in charcoal and Conté crayons, which these two figures are based on. The museum’s highlights also include the side panels of the ‘Spring’ triptych: Still Life with Pink Bird (left section) and Still Life with Woman (right section).