Signorelli's Court of Pan: A Search for the Subject of a Familiar Masterpiece

Abstract

Despite attracting a great deal of scholarly interest, there remains a lack of consensus over the theme of Signorelli’s Court of Pan. The current article reviews a wide range of the interpretations of this painting that have been developed in recent scholarship and highlights a number of problems with these interpretations. A new interpretation of the theme of the painting is then advanced in which it is argued that the six figures depicted in the painting represent characters from Longus’ Daphnis and Chloe. It is argued that the six figures divide into two groups representing two scenes from Longus’ pastoral romance. The article concludes with the suggestion that Signorelli may have been aided in the development of the theme of the painting by Angelo Poliziano.