An Offering to Pan

c. 1810

Carl Wilhelm Kolbe

Associated Names
Carl Wilhelm Kolbe

Artist, German, 1759 - 1835

This is an image of a fantastical forest scene. The central focus is a large, gnarled tree surrounded by dense foliage that creates a lush environment. Two statuesque figures are present near the tree, one seated and the other standing while playing a musical instrument. The scene features intricate details of natural elements such as leaves and branches, with a partially cloudy sky in the background. The image is meticulously composed with a variety of textures, bringing the mystical environment to life.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen

  • 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.)

  • Accession Number

    2012.92.331

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Martens 1976, no. 97, State iii

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Paul McCarron Fine Prints and Drawings, New York); Ruth Kainen, Washington, D.C., purchased August 24, 1989; Gift to NGA, 2012.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2014

  • Modern German Prints and Drawings from the Kainen Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2014.

Bibliography

1920

  • Jentsch, Ernst. "Der Radierer Carl Wilhelm Kolbe, 1757 Berlin-1835 Dessau." Unpublished dissertation. Breslau, 1920: no. 215.

1976

  • Martens, Ulf. Der Zeichner und Radierer C. W. Kolbe. Berlin, 1976: no. 97, iii.

Inscriptions

below image, at bottom left: C. W. Kolbe f.

Wikidata ID

Q76556643

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