Medusa
Although just a head and shoulders emerge from the rocks and flowers that grow around her, Medusa’s portrait is instantly recognisable. Her marble head is wrapped in a swarming mass of snakes and is found nestled on the edge of a pathway. As is typical in Ancient Greek depictions of the menacing beauty, her piercing and unflinching gaze is fixed straight ahead.
According to mythology, Medusa was born as a beautiful mortal woman with long, flowing hair. Due to her beauty and overt femininity, she was admired by the gods, and Posiedon was so enamoured by her that he impregnated her whilst they were in the temple of Athena. When his wife Athena discovered this, she cursed Medusa and transformed her long flowing locks into a mass of snakes and erased her beauty, replacing her teeth with sharp fangs and giving her a hideous face. She was confined to spend the rest of her days in complete solitude in a cave, and in order to ensure that she would have no form of human interaction, anyone who made eye contact with her would be turned to stone. Banished for her beauty, she would remain fully alone forever.
A historical term for the face of Medusa is “Gorgoneion”, and over time, her face developed from being a grotesque monster with frightful teeth and a beard to the classic beauty that we find in the Heller Garden. We can admire the symmetrical perfection of her face, which was used as a decorative motif in temples, vases, and even drinking vessels from as early as 700 B.C. It is likely that this Medusa would have been on the edge of a building or church, as it was believed that her presence held a significant power to ward off enemies.
There are many allegorical tales that discuss the power of Medusa’s head. In Homer’s Iliad, one of Zeus’s sons, Perseus, is famous for being able to behead Medusa by seeking out her cave while she is sleeping. He took many precautions to avoid her stare, including walking backwards and using a mirror to work out his bearings. After her decapitation, her severed head became a symbol of victory, power, and protection, and Zeus had it on his own personal shield.
The marble of the Heller garden’s Medusa has weathered over time, and has somewhat softened her appearance, whilst the rich warm hues of the marble echo the stones surrounding her. This ancient sculpture perfectly blends into its new environment, inviting us to reconsider the ancient myths and their enduring legacy.
