He heightens this combination of life and death through Medusa's intense expression. Although Caravaggio depicts Medusa's severed head, she remains conscious. Her own image moments before being killed. After Medusa's death, her decapitated head continued to petrifyĬaravaggio plays with this concept by modeling himself for Medusa's face - making him the only one who is safe from Medusa's dedly gaze - and having to look at his reflection to paint the shield in the same way that Medusa caught According to the story, she was killed by Perseus, who avoided direct eye contact by using a mirrored shield. Legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty. Traditionally, while two of the Gorgons were immortal, Stheno and Euryale, their sister Medusa was not, and was slain by the mythical hero Perseus, the Snakes, and a horrifying visage that turned those who beheld it to stone. While descriptions of Gorgons vary across Greek literature, the term commonly refers to any of three sisters who had hair of living, venomous Medusa was a Gorgon monster, a terrifying female creature from the Greek Mythology. Turned people to stone by looking at them. For its subject matter, Caravaggio drew on the Greek myth of Medusa, a woman with snakes for hair who The purpose of this commissioned was to symbolize the Grand Duke of Tuscany's courage in defeating his enemies. The "Head of Medusa" executed by Caravaggio, in 1598, was commissioned as a cerimonial shield by Cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte, the Medici family's agent in Rome, after seeing, on the painters studio, the first version - The Nowadays it belongs to a private collection whilst the second version, slightly bigger (60 x 55 cm) is not signed and it is in the Uffizi Gallery, in Florence. The first version also known as Murtula, due to the poet who wrote about it (48x55 cm) is signed Michel A F, (MichelĪngelo Fecit) and was found on the painter's studio only after his dead. The first in 1596 and the other presumably in 1597/8. If this is indeed the case, del Monte would certainly have known about it and instructed the young artist to follow the master.Ĭaravaggio painted two versions of the Head of Medusa. According to biographer Vasari, in a document from 1568 da Vinci also created a Medusa shield that was One example is Caravaggio's Medusa which was commissioned by Cardinal del Monte, who worked for the Medici family in Rome. David with the Head of Goliath, by CaravaggioĬourtesy of No succeeding Italian artist could paint without some evidence of da Vinci in his works, whether it was intended or not.The Adoration of the Shepherds, by Caravaggio.The Flagellation of Christ, by Caravaggio.
Salome with the Head of John the Baptist, by Caravaggio.The Decapitation of Saint John the Baptist, by Caravaggio.The Seven Works of Mercy, by Caravaggio.The Madonna of the Grooms, by Caravaggio.
The Crucifixion of Saint Peter, by Caravaggio.Martyrdom of Saint Matthew, by Caravaggio.The Conversion of Saint Paul, by Caravaggio.The Calling of Saint Mathew, by Caravaggio.
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