Pygmalion by A&S (Saint-Just)

Today, 18 June 2026, EFSP collaborator Ivo Blom will give a paper at the conference Images en mouvement: les métamorphoses de Pygmalion at the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris. His paper is entitled 'Pygmalion transmédial: Pygmalion and Galatea (1912) de Elwyn Neame', and deals with the unique print of this film at the British Film Institute. This evening, there will be projections at the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux – Pathé. On this occasion, this post presents the complete set of 10 postcards from series 743 by A&S (Saint-Just) with staged scenes based on the operetta 'Die schöne Galathée' (1865) by Franz von Suppé. This operetta mocks the classic Greek myth 'Pygmalion'.


French postcard by A&S (Saint-Just), Paris, series 743, no. 1. Scene from 'Pygmalion', inspired by the operetta 'Die schöne Galathée' by Franz von Suppé (1865), which parodies Ovid's tale from his 'Metamorphoses'. Midas: I will let her place in the back of my garden. Ganymedes: Leave now... I hear footsteps nearing.


French postcard by A&S (Saint-Just), Paris, series 743, no. 2. Scene from 'Pygmalion'. Caption: Pygmalion: To escape my wrath, stay away.


French postcard by A&S (Saint-Just), Paris, series 743, no. 3. Scene from 'Pygmalion'. Caption: O Venus, that my trebling may rise to you! That this marble by you may become a woman!


French postcard by A&S (Saint-Just), Paris, series 743, no. 4. Scene from 'Pygmalion'. Caption: Pygmalion: Oh heaven! Is it a miracle... On her, on her forehead, her mouth, oh wonder, life and warmth seem to have fallen from the heavens!


French postcard by A&S (Saint-Just), Paris, series 743, no. 5. Scene from 'Pygmalion'. Caption: Galatea: What is this charming face smiling at me? Pygmalion: It is yours.

An unfaithful statue

The Greek myth 'Pygmalion' tells the life story of the fictional Cypriot sculptor Pygmalion. Although he claims not to like women, they are a major source of inspiration for his art. Thus, one day, he begins work on an ivory statue of a woman, which is meant to pluck out ultimate beauty. Post-classical sources name her Galatea. He works on it for a long time, and it truly becomes his masterpiece.

For centuries, the myth of Pygmalion has been a major source of inspiration for all kinds of poems, novels, plays, paintings and films. The best-known version of the story of Pygmalion from antiquity was written by the Roman poet Ovid. It appears in his famous book 'Metamorphoses'. This probably appeared around the year 1 AD. Many centuries later, during the Renaissance, it became fashionable among artists to draw inspiration for their work from stories of Greek and Roman antiquity. Among the popular myths that lent themselves particularly well to adaptation was the story of Pygmalion. In the centuries that followed, this myth has always remained an important source of inspiration in art.

A famous play about this myth was published in 1762 by the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. It was simply titled 'Pygmalion'. One of the first films was Pygmalion and Galathea (Elwyn Neame, 1912) starring Ivy Close. In 1913, George Bernard Shaw also published a play, 'Pygmalion'. This play later served as the inspiration for several films, including the famous musical My Fair Lady (George Cukor, 1964) starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison.

In the 1900s, A&S (Saint-Just) published several staged, coloured postcard series based on operas and operettas such as 'Tosca', 'Faust', 'Manon Lescaut', 'Carmen', 'Cavalleria rusticana', 'Die schöne Galathée', 'La fille du régiment', 'Pippo et Bettina', 'La fille de Madame Angot' and 'Le passant'. There are also postcard series on books such as 'Paul et Virginie', and plays such as 'Cyrano de Bergerac' and 'Madame Sans-Gène'. 'Pygmalion' was inspired by the operetta 'Die schöne Galathée' by Franz von Suppé (1865), which parodied Ovid's tale.

In this version, Pygmalion refuses to sell his beautiful statue to old Midas, who has bribed Pygmalion's assistant Ganymedes to show it to him. The artist chases them and implores Venus to make the statue he so adores alive. His wish is granted, but he regrets his wish as Galatea prefers the love of Ganymedes. Vexed, Pygmalion implores the goddess to turn the unfaithful woman back into stone again, and wants to destroy it, but Midas convinces him to sell the statue to him.


French postcard by A&S (Saint-Just), Paris, series 743, no. 6. Scene from 'Pygmalion'. Midas: If this necklace may please you! Of gold, I possess much [more]!


French postcard by A&S (Saint-Just), Paris, series 743, no. 7. Scene from 'Pygmalion'. Caption: Galatea: It is blonde and auburn in colour. Its perfume is even sweeter.


French postcard by A&S (Saint-Just), Paris, series 743, no. 8 Scene from 'Pygmalion'. Caption: Ganymedes! It is you I love!...


French postcard by A&S (Saint-Just), Paris, series 743, no. 9. Scene from 'Pygmalion'. Caption: Pygmalion: You cheat me once more! Infamous one, disappear from my eyes forever!


French postcard by A&S (Saint-Just), Paris, 1900s, no. 743, 10 (end). Scene from 'Pygmalion'. Caption: Well, now I know what I can do with this, and without regrets, I will sell it.



Caption from Pygmalion and Galathea (Elwyn Neame, 1912) starring Ivy Close. Collection: British Film Institute.

For the full film programme of the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux – Pathé, see Fabula. And check out Ivo Blom's earlier EFSP post 'Kissing Statues' (26 February 2026).