144 Pygmalion and Galatea
Brush and sepia wash; H: 20.5 cm (8 Vi6 in.); W: 14. i cm
(5^9 /i6 in.)
85.GA.2iyMARKS AND INSCRIPTIONS: At top right, numbered cjo
in sepia ink by Goya, 40 in black ink by his son Javier.
PROVENANCE: Javier Goya, Madrid; Paul Lebas, Paris
(sale, Hotel Drouot, Paris, April 3, 1877, lot 54); M. de
Beurnonville, Paris (sale, Hotel Drouot, Paris, February
16-19, J885, lot 49); sale, Hotel Drouot, Paris, March 21,
1985, lot 52; art market, Boston.
EXHIBITIONS: None.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: P. Gassier, "Un source inedite de des-
sins de Goya en France au XIXe siecle," Gazette des beaux-
arts 80, no. 6 (July-August 1972), p. 113, no. 54; idem,
Francisco Goya Drawings: The Complete Albums (New
York, 1973), p. 497, no. F.i; F. Duret-Robert, "Bilan
d'une saison," Connaissance des arts no. 404 (October
1985), p. 70.
THIS DRAWING ONCE FORMED PART OF GOYA'S
"Album F," dated by Gassier to circa 1815-1820 (1973,
p. 386). In the recent Paris sale catalogue (1985), it is pro-
posed by B. de Bayser that the subject is either a sculptor
at work or Pygmalion and Galatea. The latter hypothesis
has much to recommend it and has been endorsed by E.
Sayre, who also considers the figure of Pygmalion to be
a likely self-portrait and notes the suggestive placement
of the chisel.^1 This highly personal, clearly contempo-
rary, and perhaps mocking rendering of a well-known
ancient myth is redolent of Goya's complex, innovative
imagery. The athletic vehemence of Pygmalion and Gal-
atea's fearful response underscores Goya's novel ap-
proach to this theme, which may contain yet other
subtleties.i. Conversation with the author, 1985.320 SPANISH SCHOOL • GOYA