Ovid’s Metamorphoses is a narrative poem written in 8 A.D. and covers over 250 myths in 15 books. Each story, however, can be read individually as a stand-alone piece. My favorite short narrative is that of Pygmalion, an artist who cannot find a wife that matches his ideal of what a perfect woman should be. So as an artist and sculptor he decides to make his own ‘woman.’ Ovid says that the figure of a woman he sculpts is so flawless that one would think she is alive: ars adeo latet arte sua. (The art is especially hidden by its own skill.) In other words, the brilliance of Pygmalion’s art hides the fact that his sculpture is indeed art and not a real woman. Isn’t this the kind of seamless perfection towards which all artists or creators strive?

Although it is oftentimes viewed as a commentary about unattainable standards of beauty, I’ve always seen more in the Latin than this message. Pygmalion, in his daily solitude, uses the utmost care and love to gently coax a form out of the white block of marble that will become his beloved: “Pygmalion is amazed at his creation and drinks up with his heart the passionate fires of her simulated body.” Ovid demonstrates through Pygmalion’s sculpture the power that love, kindness, and, most importantly, patience can have on our relationships.

Originally written in Latin and published in 8 A.D. Widely translated into English since the 17th Century, it can be read online here