More Digital Drawings
Medusa is a critical symbol of the Theogony, by the 8th-century BC poet Hesiod, described Medusa as being the child of Phorcys and Ceto, chthonic sea deities. In various versions of her story she has sisters, among whom are the Graiae, a trio of women who share a single eye between them.
It is in the Roman poet Ovid’s Metamorphoses that her story is most deeply elaborated.
Her beauty caught the eye of the sea god Poseidon, who proceeded to rape her in the sacred temple of Athena. Furious at the desecration of her temple, Athena transformed Medusa into a monster with the deadly capacity to turn whoever looked upon her face to stone.
Medusa was punished for being raped.
Medusa was transformed into a Monster as a result of sexual trauma.
As a Feminist I find comfort in how this transformation literally froze the male gaze that was put upon her, turning men to stone.
I have always found myself sympathizing with villainous females of art history , biblical characters, mythology and fairy tale....
The Lilith's, The Baba Yagas, The Ursula's and Maleficients....The Eve, and of course the most beautiful Gorgon, Medusa. Demonizing powerful women has always been a staple of the patriarchy.
Which leads us to Medusa's death. Perseus was summoned at the behest of King Polydectes of Seriphus because Polydectes wanted to marry Perseus's mother. Given an adamantine sword from the gods, he set out to kill Medusa. Using his shield to avoid her direct gaze;
He beheaded her and was given a hero's welcome. Fucking gross.
From the blood that spurted from her neck sprang Chrysaor and Pegasus, her two sons by Poseidon.
I drew the moment of Medusa's death. ( Based on a Rubens Painting from 1618.) It is when she lost her life and all her snakes were simultaneously dying and thrashing around.
...I drew the quiet moments before her blood fountain became her sons: a winged boar (Chrysaor) and a winged horse (Pegasus)....the last sorrows her womb would ever bare, taken to flight.
S.g.