A drawing made by Poussin for the poet Giovanni Battista Marino in Paris, c.1622-23 (see RCIN 911933 for details).

The cyclops Polyphemus had fallen in love with the nymph Galatea, and Ovid touchingly describes how he combed his hair and shaved his beard to try to win the nymph (Metamorphoses, XIII, 870ff). But Galatea loved the youth Acis, and when Polyphemus discovered them together he furiously hurled a boulder which crushed Acis. (For the aftermath, see RCIN 911939)

From the mid-sixteenth century, illustrated editions of Ovid routinely showed Polyphemus looming over the couple and throwing a rock, with Galatea fleeing and Acis already crushed beneath a boulder . Poussin has modified the standard composition to depict the moment in the story with the greatest emotional, rather than dramatic, effect. Polyphemus has only just stumbled across the explicitly posed lovers, who are still unaware of his presence. The vertiginous perspective thus goes beyond merely emphasizing the bulk of the cyclops, giving us the view over his shoulder and compelling us to share his envy - a subtle piece of psychological manipulation for such an inexperienced artist.