At Large  August 3, 2022  Gail Ostbye

Medusa's Many Faces: The Mythical Figure in Art History

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Author: jeremy
The Met

Medusa, like many other classic Greek myths, has become a cultural icon. She was one of the three Gorgons, meaning creatures who resembled human females save for their heads, from which snakes sprouted instead of hair. The eyes of Gorgons could also turn humans to stone. 

Medusa’s story ended when she was decapitated by the hero Perseus, who then used her severed head as a weapon before he gave it to the goddess Athena. Even if one does not know the whole story, it is difficult to see a woman with snakes for hair and not associate the motif with Medusa. 

Because this legend has been around since the first century BC, there have been many interpretations of Medusa throughout media and art history: Here are just a few of them, listed from oldest to newest.

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The Met
An aged circular terracotta slab depicting Medusa’s face and hair in the middle.
Second Century B.C. Terracotta

Medusa was used as a symbol to ward off evil around this time, so she is often present on decorative pieces meant to furnish either the inside or outside of a home. Here she looks remarkably human, her hair consists of thick curls rather than venomous snakes, but she can nonetheless be identified by the little wings that adorn her forehead.

About the Author

Gail Ostbye

Gail Ostbye is a rising senior at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a current intern at Art & Object. She is majoring in English and hopes to enter a career in editing. When she isn’t working she enjoys writing songs in her free time.