Pygmalion and Galatea 1890

"Pygmalion and Galatea" is an 1890 painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme, depicting the moment when the sculptor Pygmalion's sculpted statue of Galatea comes to life. The artist, known for his meticulous detail and historical accuracy, set the scene in a sculptor's workshop, filled with tools and unfinished sculptures, creating a sense of realism. Gérôme’s masterful use of light and shadow enhances the dramatic moment, capturing the sculptor’s astonishment as he embraces the now living Galatea, her nude body merging with the white marble of the sculpture. This artwork, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, exemplifies the Romanticism movement's fascination with mythology and the power of the artist's imagination.