Beginning of Essay
In Greek mythology, the story of Pygmalion and Galatea tells of a Cypriot sculptor who creates a lifelike statue of his ideal of womanhood. Pygmalion, the sculptor, names his beautiful statue Galatea and begins to imagine her as real, eventually falling passiona ....

Middle of Essay
.... his love. The telltale mallet that is lying in the foreground with bits of marble scattered close by indicates that the artist was working on his delicate sculpture when suddenly he felt her flesh tremble. Gérôme's illustration suggests that Pygmalion, after realizing Galatea was no longer a lifeless slab of stone, dropped the mallet and rushed to her side, instantaneously taking her into his arms. It is evident that Galatea's form is no longer that of a lifeless sculpture. Her plain, ivory skin and sinuous curves are seen from a backside view. Her lower body remains stone-like and chalky, but the oblique right angle of her torso suggests movemen ....