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Description: | Nude figure of a woman, Galatea, reclining on a dolphin's back. The statue is set in a circular pool in the centre of the Winter Garden attached to the house. The dolphin's tail is lifted up and she is lying back against it with her arms above her head entwined with the tip of the tail. She has flowing hair and a drape over her left thigh. The white marble figure and base are set on a separate slab of grey marble. This stands on an oval shaped, moulded dark grey marble plinth which has four cartouches around it, two of which are inscribed, with scallop shells above them. Four bronze birds standing on tortoises or turtles are ranged round the plinth with their wings outstretched against the marble, and beneath this is a pink marble slab of similar shape, standing on a stone base which holds the whole structure out of the water. Additional Information: Galatea was a sea-nymph who was wooed by the Cyclops Polyphemus but was in love with the youth Acis. On finding them together, Polyphemus threw a rock at them, killing Acis. Galatea made him into a river bearing his name and herself returned to the sea. Sea nymphs were often depicted with sea creatures as in this case, a dolphin. | Subjects: | Sculpture | Source: | Vads | Creator: | Sculptor: Ansiglioni, Leopoldo | Identifier: | http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=6986... | Go to resource |
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