![]() ![]() ![]() The snakes were likely executed by a specialist, Frans Snyders, but the idea was Rubens’. It was interpreted both as a triumph of stoic reason over the foes of virtue and as the possibility of controlling passions and exercising stoical equanimity through implacable realism. Peter Paul Rubens’ contemporaries saw in the Medusa more than a horrifying creature. 1617-1618, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. Peter Paul Rubens, Head of Medusa Peter Paul Rubens, Head of Medusa, c. Caravaggio, Medusa, 1595-1596, Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. The second version, shown here, is slightly bigger (60×55 cm) and is not signed though often dated 1597. This work is privately owned, signed, and now known as Murtola. About the first version, the 17th-century poet Gaspare Murtola wrote:įlee, for if your eyes are petrified in amazement, she will turn you to stone. Wikimedia Commons (public domain).Ĭaravaggio painted two versions of Medusa, the first in 1596 and the other around 1597. Caravaggio, Medusa-Murtola Caravaggio, Medusa-Murtola, 1596, private collection. Here are the five most famous paintings depicting Medusa. When Perseus beheaded her, Pegasus, a winged horse, and Chrysaor, a giant wielding a golden sword, sprang from her body.Īlso in more modern art, the subject of Medusa’s head became quite popular. ![]() During that time, Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon. Since Medusa was the only one of the three Gorgons who was mortal, Perseus was able to slay her while looking at the reflection from the mirrored shield he received from Athena. He received a mirrored shield from Athena, gold, winged sandals from Hermes, a sword from Hephaestus, and Hades’ helm of invisibility. The gods were well aware of this, and Perseus got help. In most versions of the story, she was beheaded by the hero Perseus, who was sent to fetch her head by King Polydectes of Seriphus because Polydectes wanted to marry his mother. Benvenuto Cellini, Perseus with the head of Medusa, 1545-1554, Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy. In Ovid’s telling, Perseus describes Medusa’s punishment by Minerva (Athena) as just and well earned. In a late version of the Medusa myth, related by the Roman poet Ovid, Medusa was originally a ravishingly beautiful maiden, “the jealous aspiration of many suitors,” but because Poseidon had raped her in Athena’s temple, the enraged Athena transformed Medusa’s beautiful hair to serpents and made her face so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it would turn onlookers to stone. Head of Medusa, Second half-second century, Tepidarium of Dar Zmela house, Sousse Archaeological Museum, Sousse, Tunisia. Her superpower was simple – gazers upon her face would turn to stone. She was a monster, a Gorgon, generally described as a winged human female with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Her name in Ancient Greek means “guardian, protectress”. If you are interested in other characters from fantasy and myths, then be sure to visit our category called “Myths and Legends”.Medusa was one of the scariest creatures that Greek mythology created. ![]() Medusa Gorgon is one of the most interesting characters from ancient Greek mythology, and now you can draw her. So, let’s now draw shadows on the body of our Medusa Gorgon, using hatching of different density. Shadows should be in the least lit areas. Also, you can draw shadows in the style of comics, as in our lesson about Mysterio. Remove all remaining guidelines and go to the shadows drawing process. In the same step, draw out the outlines of the hips and the long snake tail of Medusa, using dark lines. Now draw the outlines of the curved bow and straight arrow. On the forearms draw bracers and remove all unnecessary guidelines from the arms. Be especially careful when you draw the fists, since there are many small details. Do not forget to sketch the folds as in our example.Ĭontinuing the lines of the torso carefully draw out thin arms. Next, draw clothes on the torso, considering the curves under the cloth. Carefully draw out the neck that goes into the torso of our Medusa. The head is drawn, and it’s time to move on to the torso. Here we need to draw snakes on the head of our character with the help of long and curved lines. Here you need to try not to get lost in the lines and details. Now the most painstaking step of the lesson about how to draw Medusa Gorgon. Carefully draw out the features of the face: eyes, a neat nose and plump lips, guided by intersecting lines from step number two. Also draw contours of the face and erase all unnecessary guidelines. Let’s now work with the details on our Medusa drawing. On the torso sketch out clothing and belt on the waist. Sketch out long snakes on the head with the help of wriggling lines. Let’s now outline some details in the figure of Medusa. ![]()
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