Pygmalion and Galatea 1889 - 1914

Auguste Rodin made Pygmalion and Galatea from a single block of marble. Rodin was of course heir to a long tradition of marble carving, but what sets his work apart is his willingness to leave traces of the making process visible. Note the contrast between the highly polished skin of the figures and the roughly hewn rock from which Galatea emerges. Rodin wasn’t afraid to leave the marks of the chisel, to show the sheer labor involved in coaxing such sensuality from stone. Rodin also employed assistants who specialized in roughing out the forms; in fact, he often did not execute the final carving himself. This touches on questions of authorship and value. Is this sculpture “less” a work of art because other hands than Rodin’s were involved? I would argue that it is more interesting for just that reason, because it reminds us of the collaborative nature of all making.