Artwork
Faun/on the other side Lovers/
Faun/on the other side Lovers/ is an oil painting by the Realist artist Pál Szinyei Merse. It dates from 1867 and is held in the collection of the Hungarian National Gallery.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1867, this oil work by Hungarian painter Pál Szinyei Merse is part of the collection of the Hungarian National Gallery. The canvas presents a mythic scene set in a forest, where a faun—half man, half goat—rests upon a stone and plays a flute while a diffused light filters through the foliage.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, a faun, evokes classical mythology and the pastoral tradition, embodying the harmony between nature and music. In the distance, two barely discernible silhouettes suggest an intimate encounter, hinting at themes of love or longing that lie beyond the immediate focus on the musician.
Technique & Style
Rendered in oil, the painting employs a soft, atmospheric palette that lends a dreamlike quality to the forest setting. Szinyei Merse’s brushwork balances detailed rendering of the faun’s anatomy with looser treatment of the surrounding trees and light, creating a sense of depth and ethereality.
History & Provenance
The work has remained in Hungary since its completion, entering the holdings of the Hungarian National Gallery where it is displayed among the artist’s other mythological and landscape pieces. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s commitment to preserving 19th‑century national art.
Context
Szinyei Merse, active in the mid‑1800s, is noted for integrating Romantic sensibilities with Hungarian artistic traditions. This painting exemplifies his interest in mythic subjects, aligning with contemporary European trends that favored idealized nature and the revival of classical motifs.
Artist & collection
