"Pan Copulating with a Goat" is an ancient sculpture that was found in Pompeii.
It was one of the numerous sexual statues from an ancient Roman erotic collection discovered there.
One of the most beloved works of art in Naples, this erotic sculpture required parental guidance warnings when it traveled to the UK a few years ago for the Pompeii Exhibition at the British Museum.
The artwork depicts Pan, a wild deity of Hellenic nature, engaging in sexual activities with a goat.
Pan is a half-man, half-goat hybrid known in Greco-Roman mythology as one of the nature deities noted for his sexual prowess and as a symbol of fertility.
The Romans often displayed phallic statues in their homes because they believed they could bring good fortune, so when a sculpture of Pan was shown having sex with a goat, it was not seen as strange or odd since it symbolized certain beliefs.
Pan was the protector of the countryside, the forests, and the god of the wild nature, shepherds, and flocks in Ηellenic mythology.
Pan was referred to as Faunus in Roman mythology and was linked to concepts similar to those of the Hellenes.
Pan was viewed as a representation of creation, abundance, and the wild frontier in both Ηellenic and Roman mythology.
"Pan Copulating with a Goat" (1st century BC circa) by Unknown - Unknown Artist
Completion date circa 1st century BC. Medium Marble
Location Villa dei Papiri, Herculaneum, Pompeii, Italy.
When you visit the Villa dei Papiri, close your eyes.
It is a sin
(freely translated from English)
#chiaroscuro