The Painting of Pygmalion and Galatea: A Sensual Embrace In Greek mythology, the story of Pygmalion and Galatea tells of a Cypriot sculptor who creates a lifelike statue of his ideal of womanhood. Pygmalion, the sculptor, names his beautiful statue Galatea and begins to imagine her as real, eventually falling passionately in love with her. He becomes tormented by his love and prays to Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, to give him a wife in the image of Galatea. Aphrodite, feeling compassion for young Pygmalion, gives life to Galatea. The story has a happy ending as now Pygmalion consummates his lov