Pygmalion and Galatea | February 22nd 2007
As I sat staring at my Comparative Literature handouts, a random thought crossed my mind. What was the thought you ask? Remember the movie ‘Mannequin’? I remember watching it a gazillion and one years ago but somehow (miraculously) I managed to remember the plot: A struggling artist creates a mannequin and she comes to life and wham bam-bam, he falls in love with her, blah blah blah…Yes, I can see your eyebrows raising and I know what you’re thinking too, “what the hell is this loon on about?! A dude who fell in love with a mannequin?! HUH!” It isn’t as sick as it sounds you know (or is it?) Anyways it reminded me of the story and painting of a famous couple, Pygmalion and Galatea. [Ahh…freshman torture all over again.] I saw the painting in a book I bought on Classical Roman and Greek art (magnificent book may I add) and I remember falling in love with Jean-Léon Gérôme’s painting of Pygmalion and Galatea.
So who are Pygmalion and Galatea? Well let me give you the ‘in a nutshell’ version. Pygmalion was a Greek sculptor who hated women because they treated him like garbage. He secluded himself in his workshop and worked day and night on a huge block of ivory, sculpting out the “perfect woman”. This wouldn’t be a myth unlesssss…….well Pygmalion ended up falling in love with his “perfect creation”; he dressed her in the finest clothes, bought her jewelery…basically, the whole nine yards. Here’s where things get interesting. Pygmalion has a thing against women, right? BUT…when the day of the ‘Festival of Aphrodite’ came, he prayed to Aphrodite (goddess of love):
“Ye gods, who can do all things, give me, I pray you, for my wife” - he dared not say “my ivory virgin,” but said instead - “one like my ivory virgin.”
So who happened to “hear” him? Why, no other than Aphrodite! She was curious to who the ivory virgin was and when she saw the statue, she admired the fact that she looked so much like her (talk about an ego) So what did she do? She worked her magic of course!
When Pygmalion returned from the festival, he - as was accustomed - gave Galatea a kiss on the cheek, only to be surprised by the warmth that possessed her. My oh my, a warm block of ivory, who would’ve thought! Gradually, Galatea came to life and they lived happily ever after.
He pressed its lips again, he laid his hand upon the limbs; the ivory felt soft to his touch and yielded to his fingers like the wax of Hymettus.
Hymettus is a mountain in Greece known for its honey - honeycombs, wax, get it?
So of course, what other way to capture this beautiful myth than within a painting?
Gérôme’s version (click to enlarge)
Noticed how she’s morphing from ivory to human?
Art class, dismissed! I enjoyed writing this post, I hope you enjoyed reading it :)
Leaving you with Starship’s ‘Nothing’s Going to Stop Us Now’ (I can’t help it, I’m a sucker for 80s music). Enjoy!
Till next time world!
Ta ta for now :*