Sacrificium in Honore Panos

Louis Simon Lempereur created this print, Sacrificium in Honore Panos, sometime in the late 18th century. The image shows a classical scene of figures making offerings to Pan, the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature of mountain wilds, rustic music and impromptus, and god of hunters. We can see in this image the visual codes of classical antiquity: idealized bodies, ruins, and pastoral settings. The print was made in France, a country whose elites were very interested in the art and culture of ancient Greece and Rome at this time. This interest was more than aesthetic. By associating themselves with the classical world, French aristocrats sought to legitimize their own power and status. To better understand this image, we can research the history of classical education in France, the role of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, and the political uses of classical imagery. This print, like all art, is best understood in its social and institutional context.