The artwork titled “Pygmalion and the Image III: The Godhead Fires,” created by Edward Burne-Jones between 1875 and 1878, is an oil painting on canvas. It is part of the Romanticism art movement and belongs to a mythological painting genre. The artwork, which measures 97.5 x 74.9 cm, is part of the “Pygmalion” series and is currently housed at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in Birmingham, UK.
“Pygmalion and the Image III: The Godhead Fires” depicts a scene wherein Pygmalion’s sculpted figure is brought to life through divine intervention. The painting captures a moment of transformation, with the sculptor Pygmalion reaching out to the now animate figure of Galatea. Burne-Jones employs a delicate palette and ethereal light to emphasize the miraculous moment. Galatea, adorned with a wreath and light drapery, stands amidst flocks of birds that are swarmed around her feet, symbolizing the divine presence and the awakening of life. The painting illustrates themes of creation, transformation, and divine power inherent in the mythological story it portrays.
