Symbolism, Imagery & Allegory in Pygmalion
Sometimes, there's more to a myth than meets the eye
Statue of a Woman
Google image search "Pygmalion," and you're going to see a lot of images of a naked female statue standing on a pedestal. That's because the statue of Galatea is the main symbolic image of this myt...
The Reclusive Artist
Pygmalion wasn't exactly what you'd call a social butterfly. When he sees a group of townswomen prostituting themselves, he doesn't attempt to talk them out of it or bring it up at the next town me...
Extravagant Gifts
In the time-honored tradition of showing someone you love them by buying them expensive things, Pygmalion gives his lifeless statue lots of exotic presents: clothes, pearls, shells, earrings, rings...
Body Parts
A person should always be more than the sum of their parts, right? But with this myth's descriptions of the statue's body, it's hard to remember that. Ovid in particular really dwells on Galatea's...