Galatea
Artist: Gustave Moreau (French, 1826-1898)
Date: c. 1896
Medium: Ink, tempera, gouache and watercolour on cardboard
Collection: Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, Spain
Description
Galatea, whom the artist depicted on several occasions, is the principal figure in this work from Moreau’s final years. Her languid figure, reclining in the foreground, is set in a rocky landscape with lush, exotic vegetation. These plant forms are inspired by the marine plants that particularly fascinated Moreau. The cyclops Polyphemus, who has changed colour to match the dark, crepuscular setting, is depicted as a crouching giant observing Galatea from a distance. The brilliant pictorial surface and the richness of the textures derive from Moreau’s innovative method of applying the pigment and from the use of a combination of techniques.