The Perseus and Pygmalion legends in later nineteenth-century literature and art, with special reference to the influence of Ovid's metamorphoses

Abstract

The concern of this thesis is to show the influence of Ovid's Metamorphoses in nineteenth century England, particularly in the work of Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris. Two episodes from the Metamorphoses are examined in detail: Perseus and Pygmalion. Ovid's sources are discussed and a catalogue of other references to the Perseus legend is included. It is argued that Ovid saw the rescue of Andromeda as the climax of the Perseus story, a view which is echoed in both Burne-Jones and Morris. The three versions of the story are compared and similarities in style and narrative detail emphasised. The Perseus section ends with a brief catalogue of other nineteenth century versions of the legend. Ovid is the only readily available source for the Pygmalion story. It is argued that he takes the demythologised story about a man who has a sexual relationship with a statue and restores some elements of its original mythical form (an aetiology of the epoc yapoc between the king of Cyprus and Venus). It will be suggested that the statue is identified with Venus and that this identi£iciation also occurs in Burne-Jones and Morris. The appeal of the story for the Victorians is discussed and a number of other versions are examined.

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