The Contest of Apollo and Pan

Jacob de Backer was amongst the foremost history painters working in Antwerp at the end of the sixteenth century. Though details of his life are scarce and records suggest that the artist died at an early age, he appears to have maintained an industrious and prolific career. As is often the case with de Backer’s work, this composition exists in other variants, with a similar picture, painted on panel, now in a private collection (sold in these Rooms, 9 April 2003, lot 69), perhaps representing the closest known version. Taken from Book XI of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the picture depicts the musical contest between Pan and Apollo, witnessed by the mountain god Tmolus and King Midas. After being declared the winner, Apollo, angered by Midas’ delight in Pan’s music, punished the king by changing his ears into those of an ass. The narrative is here conflated to show Apollo playing his lyre, while Midas can be seen gesturing toward Pan as his ears transform.

We are grateful to Dr. Luuk Pijl for endorsing the attribution on the basis of a photograph.