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Fig. 1
His decision to virtually abandon his career as a his- and is the last major work of the artist’s career
tory painter, however, seems to have led the Crown which he intended to be the masterpiece of the
to prefer to advance his rivals, Gerard and Gros, French School (Fig.1.)4. In both manner of execu-
who continued to present major works at successive tion and subject it seems to look back to a decade
Salons.2 earlier. In effect a prototype for this composition
might well have been Vincent’s 1789 Zeuxis Choosing
Commissioned by an Italian collector, Giovanni His Models among the Most Beautiful maidens of Croton
Battista Sommariva3, Girodet’s Salon painting (Fig. 2 detail)5. Girodet’s late masterpiece was
Pygmalion and Galatea took eight years to execute exhibited at the Salon of 1819 and then virtually
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