In Medusa (Caravaggio), how is the Subject matter discussed?
The painting depicts the severed head of Medusa, a figure from Greek myth. Medusa was once a human woman, but the goddess Athena cursed her to live as a monster after Poseidon raped her in one of Athena's temples. Her hair was turned to snakes, and anybody who looked at her would be turned to stone. Perseus, the demigod child of Zeus, eventually decapitated Medusa using gifts from the gods.Caravaggio replaced Medusa's face with his own, allowing him to position himself as being immune to her fatal gaze. Though the head is decapitated, it still appears conscious, with the painting capturing its final moments before death. The face's eyes are widened, and its brows are creased; its mouth hangs open. Blood pours out of the severed neck.
Athena Medusa Caravaggio Zeus Perseus monster