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Pygmalion and Galatea by François Boucher

Pygmalion and Galatea

François Boucher·1764

Historical Context

Pygmalion and Galatea from 1764 at the Hermitage shows Boucher's late treatment of the Ovidian myth. The sculptor's love bringing his statue to life had special resonance for artists as a metaphor for creative transformation. Boucher worked rapidly in oil on canvas with a warm fluid technique exploiting the Rococo fashion for softly blended color and sensuous surface. Appointed Premier Peintre du Roi in 1765, he embodied French artistic taste for a generation, though his influence waned sharp...

Technical Analysis

The mythological scene captures the moment of transformation with Rococo elegance. Boucher's handling creates a scene of artistic creation.

See It In Person

Hermitage Museum

Saint Petersburg, Russia

Visit museum website →

Quick Facts

Medium
Oil paint
Era
Rococo
Style
French Rococo
Genre
Mythology
Location
Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg
View on museum website →

More by François Boucher

Are They Thinking about the Grape? (Pensent-ils au raisin?) by François Boucher

Are They Thinking about the Grape? (Pensent-ils au raisin?)

François Boucher·1747

Bathing Nymph by François Boucher

Bathing Nymph

François Boucher·c. 1745–50

Angelica and Medoro by François Boucher

Angelica and Medoro

François Boucher·1763

The Dispatch of the Messenger by François Boucher

The Dispatch of the Messenger

François Boucher·1765

More from the Rococo Period

Annunciation to the Shepherds by Jacopo Bassano

Annunciation to the Shepherds

Jacopo Bassano·c. 1710

The Madonna with the Seven Founders of the Servite Order by Agostino Masucci

The Madonna with the Seven Founders of the Servite Order

Agostino Masucci·c. 1728

Theodosius Repulsed from the Church by Saint Ambrose by Alessandro Magnasco

Theodosius Repulsed from the Church by Saint Ambrose

Alessandro Magnasco·c. 1705

Arcadian Landscape with Figures by Alessandro Magnasco

Arcadian Landscape with Figures

Alessandro Magnasco·c. 1700