Medusa
Dublin Core
Title
Medusa
Description
Bernini’s Medusa sculpture shows Medusa amidst her transformation into a monster. Bernini’s depiction here is again heavily depicted by Ovid’s Metamorphosis. According to Ovid, Medusa was punished by Athena for having an affair with Poseidon in her heavenly temple.
Bernini aims to paint her in an emotional and in pathetic, moving fashion. These themes of sympathy and pain are commonly depicted in many of the counter-reformation works in this time especially when depicting Christian martyrs and Mary Magdalene. Bernini is translating this common manner of depicting emotionally-filled Christain stories within this mythological work.
Bernini aims to paint her in an emotional and in pathetic, moving fashion. These themes of sympathy and pain are commonly depicted in many of the counter-reformation works in this time especially when depicting Christian martyrs and Mary Magdalene. Bernini is translating this common manner of depicting emotionally-filled Christain stories within this mythological work.
Creator
Sofia Silvosa
Source
Glennon, Madeleine. “Medusa in Ancient Greek Art.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/medu/hd_medu.htm (March 2017).
Lavin, Irving. "Bernini’s Bust of the Medusa: An Awful Pun." (2019).
“Bernini's Medusa.” FAMSF, August 21, 2019. https://www.famsf.org/press-room/berninis-medusa.
Lavin, Irving. "Bernini’s Bust of the Medusa: An Awful Pun." (2019).
“Bernini's Medusa.” FAMSF, August 21, 2019. https://www.famsf.org/press-room/berninis-medusa.
Publisher
“Medusa by Gian Lorenzo Bernini - Facts & History of the Sculpture.” Totally History, April 27, 2013. https://totallyhistory.com/medusa-gian-lorenzo-bernini/.
Date
1630-1644
Contributor
Sofia Silvosa
Format
68 cm
Type
Sculpture
Files
Citation
Sofia Silvosa, “Medusa,” ARTHIST 256 - Italian Baroque Art - Fall 2021, accessed October 22, 2026, https://baroque.dahvc.org/fall-2021/items/show/290.