Sculptuur Perseus door Benvenuto Cellini in de Loggia de Lanzi te Florence, Italië 1856 - 1881

Here is Giacomo Brogi's photograph of Benvenuto Cellini's sculpture "Perseus," which was taken in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. It captures the statue of the triumphant Perseus, a symbol of power and victory, holding aloft the severed head of Medusa. In Renaissance Florence, art was often a tool for political messaging, and this photograph is no different. The statue itself embodies masculine dominance and the subjugation of the monstrous feminine. Medusa, once a symbol of female rage and power, is reduced to a trophy. The statue's presence in a public square was a declaration of the Medici's power, their ability to overcome threats, both real and imagined. Brogi's photograph, taken later, continues this narrative, reinforcing these themes for a new audience. It invites us to reflect on how representations of power, gender, and violence persist and evolve through art across centuries. Consider how the photograph invites you to feel about power, gender, and violence in relation to identity.