Pygmalion and Galatea

The engraver uses swelling and tapering lines to depict Pygmalion seated among his tools, offering a small bouquet of flowers to his creation. Galatea stands on a low plinth, her flesh beginning to soften from the rigid ivory, while Pygmalion looks up in awe, still clutching his chisel. The foreground is littered with the instruments of the sculptor’s craft, including a mallet and various gouges.

This work reflects the Neoplatonic and Hermetic fascination with the 'living statue,' a concept found in the Asclepius where humans are described as 'mortal gods' capable of imbuing matter with spirit. It serves as an allegory for the artist as a demiurge, whose creative 'furor' mimics the divine animation of the physical world.