Pan (White)
Encyclopedia
Pan is a public artwork by sculptor Roger White located at the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza
in Indianapolis, Indiana
, United States
. This work was originally surveyed in 1993 as part of the Smithsonian's
Save Outdoor Sculpture!
program. A former water fountain, this piece is part of a National Historic Landmark District.
figure of Pan sitting on a limestone
tree stump. Pan is nude and his furry proper right knee is bent upwards to his chest with his other leg hangs over the side of the stump. The satyr
holds a pan flute
in his hand, holding it up to his mouth, as if playing it for nearby Syrinx.
. Richards' original Syrinx and Pan sculptures were dedicated in 1923. Eventually, both pieces were stolen, with Syrinx disappearing in 1959 and Pan circa 1970. The parks department commissioned Adolph Wolter
to replace the pieces, and in 1973 they were reinstalled in their current location in University Park at the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza
. However, Wolter's Pan would eventually be stolen as well, and sculptor Roger White was commissioned to replace the piece. Pan was replaced in 1980 by White.
Indiana World War Memorial Plaza
The Indiana World War Memorial Plaza is an urban feature located in Indianapolis, Indiana, originally built to honor the veterans of World War I. The five-city-block plaza was conceived in 1919 as a location for the national headquarters of the American Legion and a memorial to the state's and...
in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. This work was originally surveyed in 1993 as part of the Smithsonian's
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Save Outdoor Sculpture! is a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. By fostering awareness and appreciation, SOS! aims to advocate proper care of a nationwide public resource....
program. A former water fountain, this piece is part of a National Historic Landmark District.
Description
It is a bronzeBronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
figure of Pan sitting on a limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
tree stump. Pan is nude and his furry proper right knee is bent upwards to his chest with his other leg hangs over the side of the stump. The satyr
Satyr
In Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing....
holds a pan flute
Pan flute
The pan flute or pan pipe is an ancient musical instrument based on the principle of the closed tube, consisting usually of five or more pipes of gradually increasing length...
in his hand, holding it up to his mouth, as if playing it for nearby Syrinx.
Information
Pan was originally designed by Myra Reynolds RichardsMyra Reynolds Richards
Myra Reynolds Richards American sculptor and teacher born in Indianapolis, Indiana. She studied at the Herron Art Institute in Indianapolis with J. Ottis Adams, Helene Hibben, Rudolf Schwarz, and George Julian Zolnay...
. Richards' original Syrinx and Pan sculptures were dedicated in 1923. Eventually, both pieces were stolen, with Syrinx disappearing in 1959 and Pan circa 1970. The parks department commissioned Adolph Wolter
Adolph Wolter
Adolph Gustav Wolter van R Wolter German born American sculptor, educator and carver. Wolter was born in Reutlingen, Germany. His father was a stone carver and Wolter apprenticed with him before enrolling in the Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart. In 1922 he immigrated to the United States...
to replace the pieces, and in 1973 they were reinstalled in their current location in University Park at the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza
Indiana World War Memorial Plaza
The Indiana World War Memorial Plaza is an urban feature located in Indianapolis, Indiana, originally built to honor the veterans of World War I. The five-city-block plaza was conceived in 1919 as a location for the national headquarters of the American Legion and a memorial to the state's and...
. However, Wolter's Pan would eventually be stolen as well, and sculptor Roger White was commissioned to replace the piece. Pan was replaced in 1980 by White.