Pygmalion and Galatea: The History of a Narrative in English Literature (Nineteenth Century Series)

The story of Pygmalion and his statue is one of the most enduring tales in Ovid's "Metamorphoses". This text traces the development of the Pygmalion story in English literature from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, following it through a wide variety of versions ranging from tales of love and ideal beauty to vehicles for philosophical, religious, political and aesthetic ideas. Retold for centuries, the Pygmalion story acquires its own distinctive stylistic and thematic marks in each age. It is the aim of this study to bring together these narrations and examine the interaction between them.