Art in the Metamorphoses

I have started to notice the importance Ovid places on art. Myth and art are so closely intertwined, especially in the Roman culture. As a form of communication, documentation, and expression of awe and wonder art is an integral issue in Myth. In the story of Paethon's Ride, when Ovid describes the palace he says "yet more valuable than gold and silver was the craft that made them"(Ovid 33), such a high value placed on craftsmanship seems to be a common theme. Paethon however is perplexed by the art, perhaps a critique of his character which disregards art and beauty for a chance to drive the chariot. The vital nature and power of art is further depicted in the story we read today of Pygmalion. Usually art depicts reality but in Pygmalion's story the inverse happens and reality depicts what was once art. The story also perhaps suggests that art is in fact so valuable that it can sufficiently replace reality and become as beloved and tangible as any real lover. We have to always look at art and literature as intertwined mediums that give each other meaning, in this context there is all kind of vast new meaning brought to the stories of Metamorphoses.