Pygmalion and Galatea
- Gallery: Room 46
- Maker: Etienne Maurice Falconet
- Made in: Sèvres
- Date: 1764-1773 (circa)
- Object type: figure
- Materials: porcelain (soft-paste)
- Museum number: 1948,1203.38
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is "Pygmalion and Galatea," a porcelain group crafted around 1764 to 1773 in Sèvres, France. The soft-paste biscuit porcelain captures a dramatic moment in classical mythology. Pygmalion, draped in a robe with sandal-like shoes, kneels in wonder as Galatea, fully revealed in the nude, stands before him—an ivory sculpture brought to life.
Look closely at the composition: a cherubic putto kisses Galatea’s hand while another figure holds a broken bow nearby, suggesting transformation and artistry. Pygmalion’s tools—chisels, a mallet, and a file—lie at his feet, hinting at his sculptor's role. The base, hollow on one side, shows the press-moulded technique used in making the piece.
This work was modeled by Etienne Maurice Falconet, based on his original marble group. It highlights the bond between creator and creation and was celebrated as one of the most poetic achievements of 18th-century Sèvres porcelain.
See it in person
Pygmalion and Galatea is on display in Room 46 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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