Crete, Greece
According to Greek mythology, Pygmalion was a sculptor who fell in love with a statue he had carved from a block of ivory alabaster.
The statue named Galatea was so perfect that Pygmalion became infatuated with it.
Hopelessly enraptured, Pygmalion made offerings at the altar of Aphrodite. He begged The Goddess of Love to let him be with the statue which he had created in her image.
When Pygmalion returned home, he kissed his ivory statue and found that its lips felt warm. He kissed it again and found that the ivory had lost its hardness. Aphrodite had granted Pygmalion’s wish.
The Pygmalion myth is a rich narrative that delves into the nature of love, art, and transformation. The story has inspired numerous artistic interpretations, in paintings, sculptures, literary works, and film.
The 1990 romantic-drama film Pretty Woman draws heavily from Pygmalion myth.
Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) meets a Hollywood escort, Vivian (Julia Roberts). As the plot develops, Vivian is transformed from working prostitute to a rising socialite, and Edward transitions from corporate raider to a compassionate business agent.
“Do You Have Anything in This Shop as Beautiful as She Is?”
Richard Gere as Edward
In the Greek Myth, after Aphrodite brought Galatea to life, Pygmalion marries her and they have a daughter, Paphos.
In the film, Edward flies Vivian to San Francisco to attend an opera (La Traviata – The Fallen Woman) in his private jet. The play, about a woman who falls in love with a wealthy man, prompts a discussion. Vivian tells Edward about a fantasy she has of being recued by a knight on a white steed but goes on to say that things like that don’t happen in real life. She tells Edward she is returning home, going back to school, and pursuing a conventional career.
Edward cannot bear to see Vivian leave. He goes to her apartment in a white limousine and “rescues” her.
In the Greek Myth, Pygmalion is transformed from a lonely, introverted, and celibate artist to a loving husband and father.
In Pretty Woman, Edward asks Vivian what happens to the white knight in her fantasy. Vivian replies, …
…She rescues him right back.
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