Pigmaleão (Pygmalion)

Pigmaleão era para Ovídio (Metamorfoses, X) um escultor, simultaneamente rei de Chipre. Certo dia apaixonou-se pela estátua duma mulher, que só em textos mais modernos aparece com o nome de Galateia. Com pena dele, Afrodite deu vida à escultura e Pigmalião pode casar com ela. Há quem considere este mito como a capacidade humana de criar o seu próprio rumo.

Pygmalion was to Ovid (Metamorphoses, X) a sculptor, and simultaneously king of Cyprus. One day he fell in love with the statue of a woman who only in most modern texts appears under the name of Galatea. As Aphrodite felt sorry for him, she gave life to the sculpture so that Pygmalion could marry her. This myth is supposed to represent the human capacity that people have to create their own path.

Louis-Jean-Fançois Lagrenée (1724-1805)-'Pygmalion and Galatea'-oil on canvas

George Frederick Watts (1817-1904)-'the wife of Pygmalion'-oil on canvas

Étienne Maurice Falconet (1716-1791)-'Pygmalion and Galatea'-statue in marble-1763 St Petersburg-Hermitage

François Lemoine (1688-1737)-'Pygmalion seeing his statue come to life'-oil on canvas Tours-Musée des Beaux-Arts

François Boucher (1703-1770)-'Pygmalion and Galatea'-oil on canvas St Petersburg-Hermitage