44" x 55" Acrylic Encapsulated Pigment on Museum Etching Cotton
Medusa's story is one of the most poignant tragedies in Greek mythology, illustrating the cruel capriciousness of the gods and the destructive power of beauty.
Originally, Medusa was a stunningly beautiful maiden with golden hair, admired by many suitors. She was a priestess in Athena's temple, devoted to a life of celibacy in service to the goddess. However, her beauty caught the eye of Poseidon, the god of the sea.
Overcome with lust, Poseidon raped Medusa in Athena's temple. However, instead of punishing Poseidon for this violation, Athena turned her wrath on Medusa. Whether out of jealousy, anger at the desecration of her temple, or a misguided sense of justice, Athena transformed Medusa into a monster.
Medusa's lovely hair was changed into a writhing mass of venomous snakes. Her face became a weapon so that anyone who gazed upon it would instantly turn to stone. She was cursed to live in isolation, shunned and feared by all.
Transformed from a beautiful, devoted priestess into a terrifying monster through no fault of her own, Medusa's tale is one of undeserved punishment and the harsh, often unfair nature of divine retribution in Greek mythology.
Medusa's ultimate fate - being beheaded by the hero Perseus - only compounds the tragedy, as even in death, she was treated as a monster to be slain rather than a victim of divine injustice.
