![]() They were daughters of Phorcys (a sea god) and his sister Ceto (a sea goddess).Īccording to the Roman poet Ovid, Medusa was a beautiful young woman. Both Stheno and Euryale were immortal, but Medusa was not. Who is Medusa? In Greek mythology, Medusa was one of three sisters (Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa) who were often referred to as Gorgons. Do you see how Caravaggio used these contrasts to show the head of Medusa as a three-dimensional object? It is also interesting to have a closer look at Caravaggio’s use of light and shadow in this painting. As the painting is created on a shield, Caravaggio’s idea was that this painting actually represents the view of the shield as held by Perseus just after he killed Medusa. ![]() You can see this realization by the horror in her eyes. She realizes that her head is separated from her body, but that she is still conscious. This painting shows the moment that Medusa is looking at the reflective shield that Perseus is holding (which according to the myth actually happened just before she got beheaded). The blood streams out of her head as she has just been killed by the Greek demigod Perseus. I count at least eight snakes on her head. ![]() The snakes are watersnakes from the Tiber river as those were the best type of snakes Caravaggio could find nearby. Instead of normal hair she has living, venomous snakes on her head. With her glance she could turn people who looked at her into stone. ![]() Medusa is a figure described in Greek mythology. What do you see? A depiction of the head of Medusa painted on a circular and curved wooden shield. Commissioned by? Cardinal del Monte, who gave it as a gift to Ferdinando I de Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany ![]()
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