Pan of Rohallion

Frederick William MacMonnies, artist

1863–1934

Pan of Rohallion, cast 1894, modeled 1890

Where object was made: United States

Material/technique: bronze; casting

Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 71.1 x 25.4 x 30.5 cm
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 28 x 10 x 12 in

Credit line: Museum purchase: Patrons and Benefactors Fund

Accession number: 1971.0158

On display: Michaelis Gallery

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Pan, the Greek god of forests and shepherds, wears a goat headdress and fur draped across his shoulders. He stands on an orb surrounded by fish while playing pipes, another symbol of this musical deity. This sculpture is a small copy of a life-size bronze fountain figure created for the New Jersey home of Edward Adams, whose mansion was called Rohallion, meaning “little red hill.”

Archive Label date unknown:
When MacMonnies was sixteen, he began an apprenticeship in the studio of sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens in New York City. He also studied sculpture at the Art Students League and in 1884, with the encouragement of Saint-Gaudens, moved to Paris to attend the École des Beaux-Arts. In 1889 MacMonnies opened his own Paris studio, where he produced his most famous works. He remained a popular artist until the beginning of the 20th century. In 1915 he returned to New York and dedicated the rest of his life to painting.

Pan of Rohallion is a small copy of a life-size figure commissioned by Edward Adams as a fountain sculpture for Adam's home, Rohallion, in New Jersey. It is the first of many fountain pieces MacMonnies completed. Pan, a Greek god of the forests and shepherds, wears a goat headdress and fur draped across his shoulders. Here he stands upon an orb surrounded by fish and playing pipes, also a symbol of Pan.