Acis and Galatea Sculpture at Fountain of Medicis

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La Fontaine de Medicis, Jardin du Luxembourg

 

At the La Fontaine de Medicis in Paris’ Jardin du Luxembourg is a beautiful sculpture by Auguste Ottin called Polyphemus Surprising Acis and Galatea. It was made for Marie de Medici.

Acis and Galatea are character from Greek mythology. In the Metamorphoses by Ovid, Acis was the

son of Faunus and Symaethis, the sea-nymph daughter of the River Symaethus. Acis and Galatea were deeply in love, but Acis was murdered with a boulder by a jealous Sicilian Cyclops named Polyphemus. According to the tale, Galatea was so distraught over the murder of her beloved that she turned his blood into the Acis River that flowed in Sicily near Mount Etna.

Some historians believe that the tale was fabricated as a political satire about Dionysius I, an infamous Sycilian tyrant. His favorite concubine was also named Galatea. However, others believe that the story was made up to explain the presence of a shrine on Mount Etna that is devoted to the Nereid, Galatea.

The tragic story grew in popularity since the beginning of the Renaissance. Acis and Galatea became popular subjects for artists and musicians. The tale became the inspiration for musical pieces such as Handel's Acis and Galatea and Aci, Lully's Acis et Galatée, Jean Cras's opera Polypheme, Antonio de Literes' zarzuela Acis y Galatea and Galatea e Polifemo.