Small, finely wrought compositions on expensive copper supports invited close scrutiny. Europe's savvy, highly literate elite would have recognized the subject of this painting from the small figures in the background: the wood nymph Syrinx escaping her pursuer, Pan, by transforming herself into a bunch of reeds. Paintings of scenes from Ovid's Metamorphoses, which focus on the theme of transformation, are often found in Kunstkammer inventories. Pietro Mera, known as il Fiammingo (The Fleming), was one of a number of successful Northern artists living in Italy.

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