This is a painting of Pygmalion and Galatea. Since I was in British Literature last year, I wanted to look further into this story. Pygmaliona and Galatea is a Roman myth about a sculptor, Pygmalion, who was disgusted by women after, I can only suppose, having too much run ins with the wrong kind makes a perfect, virginal woman sculpture and falls in love with it. He names it Galatea (well, actually, a Frenchman named her Galatea after the Greek myth about the nereid who fell in love with a human man and turns into a goddess), and he prays to Aphrodite to make her real. Aphrodite makes her real, and the two live happily ever after.If only it could really happen. I actually was looking at the Greek painting of The Triumph of Galatea by Raphael when I remembered this story. It is typically masculine becuase there are no "perfect women" in the world. Men's ideals of a perfect woman is just nonexistant, especially in their terms. I wish the story went on to describe all the actions of Galatea such as if she obeyed his every command, cleaned, cooked, had beautiful baby boys for Pygmalion, etc. The thought of a man creating a "perfect woman" both tickles and irritates me. It's symbolic to me that no one is perfect, but I wish she never came to life because it would have been better as a satire on how men chase after the ideal woman in vain.
The painting depicts what men want I suppose. In the painting, there is a baby angel holding clothes around her to emphasize her innocence and pure angelic nature. At least, she is above him in both position and perhaps in purity, etc. The one thing that saves me from hating this story is that he is enthralled by her; she holds power over him!
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