April 15: World Art Day

Most of us have a picture in our head of our perfect match. That was certainly the case with Pygmalion, who couldn’t find anything near his ideal woman in real life. And since he was a gifted sculptor, he created his own. She was gorgeous. Perfect, from the line of her eyebrow to her elegant little toe. Luxurious shades of paint covered the marble, to accentuate the tone of her skin, the drapery of her dress, the gold of her tiara and the pinkish rosebud of her mouth. Her bright blue eyes spoke of love, even if they didn’t blink. And when he took her in his arms, he could almost feel her heart beating. Galathea, he had called her, after the prettiest of Nereids, those legendary creatures of the sea. The more time he spent with her, the more the longing grew. Now, Aphrodite, goddess of love, had been watching, not knowing what to think of a man who scorned all women over a lifeless shell. So, she brought perfect Galathea to life. According to the myths, Pygmalion got everything he asked for. But I suspect he got a whole lot more (than he bargained for).

Galatée, Auguste Rodin, Musée Rodin, Paris, France

Pygmalion et Galatée, Anne-Louis Girodet, Musée du Louvre, Paris, France