Pygmalion and Galatea
modeled 1889, carved ca. 1908–9
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
Overall (wt. confirmed): 38 1/4 × 35 × 30 in., 1068 lb. (97.2 × 88.9 × 76.2 cm, 484.4 kg)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Thomas F. Ryan, in memory of William M. Laffan, 1910
Accession Number
10.31
Tags
About the Artist
Auguste Rodin · 1840–1917
François Auguste René Rodin (1840-1917) stands as the founder of modern sculpture, transforming the art form from academic tradition into expressive modernism. Born into a working-class Parisian family, Rodin faced early rejection, failing three times to gain admission to the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts. This setback forced him to work as a craftsman for nearly two decades, though his 1875 tr...