Vestal Presenting a Young Woman at the Altar of Pan

A woman dressed as a Vestal Virgin leads a young girl, covering herself with a swath of cloth, towards a statue of Pan, the ancient god of wildlife and pastures. With characteristic goatlike ears, Pan appears in the form of a term, a statue marking a territorial boundary. The smoking incense and the sacrificial tripod indicate that the women are performing an initiation rite. Cupid's presence and Pan's associations with fertility suggest that the girl is preparing for marriage. Sculptor Claude Michel, called Clodion, frequently drew from ancient mythology for his terracottas, but his borrowings rarely focused on grand events. For Clodion, ancient culture provided a classical figure style, a repertory of characters and settings, and perhaps most importantly, a nostalgic mood. As was typical of the Rococo style, his works tended to be playful and erotic. Although Clodion finished the piece in the round, he designed it to be seen from the front, placed on a piece of furniture or on a mantelpiece. Known for his masterful handling of wet clay, the artist focused on texture, differentiating clingy or billowing drapery from satin-textured skin.