Pygmalion and Galatea narratives, including The Marble Maiden, The Marble Heart, Pygmalion, My Fair Lady

In the Greek myth, the intensity of an artist's love for his statue of a woman brings it to life. Pre-classic opera and Romantic ballet maintained the plot as a symbol of transformative adoration. Nineteenth century playwrights were also drawn to this myth but, in reaction to the rise of feminism and suffragists, questioned its happy ending. Engraved illustrations and posters show Victorian ballets, burlesques and comedies. An Art Nouveau poster represents a forgotten Pygmalion and Galatea by W. S. Gilbert. This section also looks at George Bernard Shaw's ironic play, Pygmalion, and the Lerner & Loewe musical based on it, My Fair Lady.