Head of Medusa
Antonio Canova
1796–1806
- Medium
- Plaster
- Dimensions
- 31 × 31.8 × 30.5 cm (12 1/4 × 12 9/16 × 12 1/16 in.); With socle: 116.3 × 53.4 × 49.6 cm (45 3/4 × 21 × 19 1/2 in.)
- Genre
- sculpture
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
Styles
Tags
nineteenth century19th centurymonstersMythologymodel-makingwomanplastercasting (process)mythicalItaliansculptureGreek mythologybust/headsculptingmythological figuresNeoclassicism
About
Neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova dominated Rome’s artistic scene at the turn of the 19th century. This plaster is a partial model for his large-scale marble statue Perseus Holding the Head of Medusa. According to Greek mythology, Medusa was a serpent-haired creature called a Gorgon whose gaze turned anyone who beheld her into stone. Perseus killed Medusa as she slept by using a mirrored shield to approach her and sever her head, which he continued to carry as a weapon, using it to petrify his enemies. Here, Canova depicted Medusa’s decapitated head, with its blank eyes, slack mouth, and cheeks caressed by snakes.
