The Sleeping Medusa
The Sleeping Medusa
2025
Acrylic and gouache on linen
12 x 14 in
2025
Acrylic and gouache on linen
12 x 14 in
Inspired by the Terracotta pelike vase from the Metropolitan museum, depicting the scene where Perseus looks back at his protectress, Athena, as he is about to behead the sleeping Medusa. The rendering is unusual because it is one of the earliest in which Medusa's face is that of a beautiful young woman. And as a result shifts the power dynamic of the scene, and begs the question, who was the real villain?