Medusa Haar in Schlangen · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Medusa Haar in Schlangen
Period: 1550-1600;
Geographic: Ancient Greece; Ethiopia
Description: The dinner guests at Perseus’ and Andromeda’s wedding feast beg Perseus to recall the story of how he beheaded the Gorgon named Medusa. He obliged his new companions and recounted the tale. This image illustrates his story, as it depicts Medusa laying on the ground with her head in the hands of Perseus. Perseus had used his bronze shield to reflect Medusa’s gaze so she herself would turn into stone. Pegasus, Perseus’ winged horse is depicted on the left side of the engraving.
Image Creator: Virgil Solis (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:21754
Language: ger
Source Name: P. Ouidij Nasonis, deß Sinnreichen und hochverstendigen Poeten, Metamorphoses oder Verwandlung, mit schönen figuren gezieret, auch kurzen Argumenten und außlegungen erkläret, und in Teutsche Reymen gebracht, durch Johann Spreng von Augspurg [Publius Ovidius Naso, the Ingenious and Highly Understandable Poet, Metamorphoses or Transformations, Adorned with Beautiful Images, and also descriptions of Short Arguments and Explanations, Brought into German Rhymes by Johann Spreng of Augsburg]
Parent Collection: 1564 Frankfurt Spreng
Image: mta_21754_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Ovid's Metamorphoses
Subject: Perseus; Andromeda; Medusa; Demi Gods; Roman Mythology; Greek Mythology; Gorgons