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• 1 2017-10-13T05:38:41-07:00 McDonough - Medusa in Ancient Greek Art 30 A look at one of Greek mythology's most feared creatures gallery 2017-10-13T09:52:09-07:00

  Introduction

  Medusa is one of the most widely recognizable figures from Ancient Greek art.  She is most commonly known for having snakes for hair and having the ability to turn anyone to stone upon looking into her eyes.  She is depicted in several different literary works, including works by ancient writers and poets such as Homer, Hesiod, and Pindar.  Each depiction provides a wide-ranging and diverse picture of the fabled creature, from evil and manipulative to beautiful and charming.  In art, she is also portrayed very differently from one piece to the next.  Her face is usually designed as either fierce and grotesque, or feminine and composed.  This depiction was drastically changed from the Archaic to the Hellenistic periods, as she was scary in the Archaic and beautiful in the Hellenistic.  She is most commonly interpreted as an apotropaic symbol used to protect from and ward off any negativity, much like the modern evil eye.  She represents a dangerous threat meant to deter other dangerous threats (evil repelling evil).  Her role in Greek mythology and art reveals a nuanced and complex character with multiple iterations and implications.

  Gorgon Medusa

  The head of Gorgon Medusa, also known as a gorgoneion, was a popular theme for terracotta antefixes during ancient times.  These antefixes were used as ornamental covers which conceal the ends of tiles along the edge of a roof.  This type of antefix was typically found in Sicily and southern Italy.  During the Archaic period, Medusa was almost always depicted as a monstrous figure with huge eyes and an unsettling, big smile, which can be seen in this antefix.  These exaggerated features and surprisingly well-preserved, fierce colors of black, white and red, allowed viewers to see this piece from the ground, as they looked up at the roof.

  Roundel with Head of Medusa

  The central decoration on this roundel is the head of Medusa.  In this piece, Medusa is depicted differently than normal.  She was given a beautiful face, with wavy locks of thick, gorgeous hair, which is a clear change in how she was depicted in previous years.  Created in the Hellenistic period, this change pretty much revolutionized the way she was created for years to come.  She has small wings above her forehead which indicate that she is the Gorgon sister of Stheno and Euryale.  There are traces of pink and blue paint along the roundel, which allows one to use their imagination in figuring out where those colors might have been.  Medusa remained a popular decoration through Greek and Roman periods.  This roundel would be found decorating a wall or piece of furniture.

  Perseus Beheading Medusa

  Perseus was sent by King Polydectes to obtain the head of Medusa.  King Polydectes did this so that he could marry Perseus' mother, and the only way he could do that was to send Perseus far away.  He accomplished this mission with the help of Athena, Hermes, and two nymphs, who gave him gifts that would help him during the dangerous stunt.  He then returned back to the kingdom and was praised for years to come.  By mid-fifth century B.C., this story became one of the most popular motifs in Attic art.  This rendition, though, is rather unusual for this time period, as Medusa is depicted as a beautiful young woman, and not a terrifying gorgon.  Another important aspect of this, but is no longer readily visible, are the rays surrounding the hero's (Perseus) head, as if he is recognized as a special stature or power.  This terracotta pelike was created in red-figure, which is basically a black-filled background, with the figures left in red.  

  Vase with Medusa Head

  This vase is a variant of the funnel-jar with relief plaques.  It was found in a burial, along with other vases of similar kind.  The decoration on this is very sculptural, with the two handles in the form of Erotes, winged gods that are associated with love.  In this piece, plaster copies replace the original handles, due to loss of the originals.  The Medusa on the front remained miraculously in tact as opposed to the other pieces on the vase.  She is depicted as almost a normal looking woman with snakes coming out of her head.  With Medusa being on the front, it is assumed that she was placed there to act as a guardian and to ward off evil for the deceased in the burial.  There was once a statuette that stood on ledge between her wings, but that has since been lost.  This piece was created in the early Hellenistic period.

  Medusa as Armor

  The presence of Medusa on armor reinforces the idea that her presence held significant power to protect the wearer against enemies.  Gorgons would be present on almost all types of armor, including helmets, shields, and greaves.  In this image, the greave, or shin guard, has a decoration on the uppermost part, where the knee would be.  In this figural motif, the gorgoneion is that part that would cover the knee.  The Greek's believed that it would be able to transfix the enemy and win in battle.  It is made of bronze, which was not that easy to break through when the warriors went to battle.  This particular greave was created in the classical period, which allows the features to be a bit more realistic than periods before.