Medusa filia phorci · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture · Center for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Medusa filia phorci
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Ancient Greece
Description: Medusa is illustrated on the left side of the engraving embracing the god Neptune. Medusa is depicted in her human form in this engraving before Minerva transformed her into a monster. Boccaccio explains that Minerva transforms Medusa into a monster because she was angry that she had sexual relations with Neptune inside one of her temples. Boccaccio also explains that Medusa ends up giving birth to a Pegasus. The Pegasus is illustrated laying down beside Medusa. The hero Perseus is depicted riding his Pegasus on the right side of the engraving as he is on his way to conquer Medusa’s kingdom.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18141
Language: lat
Source Name: Iohannis Bocacij in librum de claris mulieribus
Parent Collection: 1487 Leuven; 1487 Leuven
Image: mta_18141_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Pegasus; Neptune; Perseus; Gods; Goddesses; Important Women; Famous Women; Roman Mythology; Greek Mythology; Medusa