Art Institute of Chicago
Head of Medusa
Antonio Canova (Italian, 1757–1822)
- Date
- c. 1801
- Medium
- Plaster
- Culture
- Italy
- Department
- Painting and Sculpture of Europe
- Institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
Neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova dominated Rome’s artistic scene at the turn of the 19th century. This plaster is a partial model for his large-scale marble statue Perseus Holding the Head of Medusa . According to Greek mythology, Medusa was a serpent-haired creature called a Gorgon whose gaze turned anyone who beheld her into stone. Perseus killed Medusa as she slept by using a mirrored shield to approach her and sever her head, which he continued to carry as a weapon, using it to petrify his enemies. Here, Canova depicted Medusa’s decapitated head, with its blank eyes, slack mouth, and cheeks caressed by snakes.
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- Object type
- AAT300301253
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