Compare and contrast the style and subject matter of Jean-Léon Gérôme’s Pygmalion and Galatea with that of Thomas Eakins’ William Rush Carving His Allegorical Figure of the Schuylkill River.

What will be an ideal response?


Answer: The ideal answer should include:
1. Jean-Léon Gérôme’s Pygmalion and Galatea is an example of officially sanctioned academic art because it features idealized figures, controlled brushstrokes, and mild eroticism.
2. Gérôme’s Pygmalion and Galatea also depicts a scene from Classical mythology in which Pygmalion embraces the sculpture of Galatea that Aphrodite has brought to life.
3. However, Thomas Eakins’ William Rush Carving His Allegorical Figure of the Schuylkill River depicts a Realist view of the sculptor’s trade.
4. Instead of an idealized female figure, Eakins portrays a realistic and lumpy female figure, and Eakins uses a loose painting style rather than controlled brushstrokes.

Art & Culture

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