Von Medusa · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture · Center for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Von Medusa
Subject: Important Women; Famous Women; Perseus; Gods; Goddesses; Pegasus; Roman Mythology; Greek Mythology; Medusa
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Ancient Greece
Description: Medusa is illustrated on the right side of the engraving embracing the god Neptune. The creator engraved Medusa and Neptune’s names beside their bodies to identify them. 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, which is engraved behind Medusa on the right side of the engraving. The hero Perseus is depicted riding his Pegasus on the left side of the engraving as he is on his way to conquer Medusa’s kingdom. Perseus’ name is engraved to the right of his helmet.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:17974
Language: ger
Source Name: Hyenach volget der kurcz syn von ettlichen frauen von denen johannes boccacius in latein beschriben hat und doctor heinricus stainhöwel geteütschet [Following the short stories of several women of which Giovanni Boccaccio wrote in Latin, and doctor Heinrich Steinhöwel translated]
Parent Collection: 1473 Augsburg; 1473 Augsburg
Image: mta_17974_OBJ.png
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Important Women; Famous Women; Perseus; Gods; Goddesses; Pegasus; Roman Mythology; Greek Mythology; Medusa

Media: mta_17974_OBJ.png