Plate 41: Perseus Killing Medusa (Anguiparum Meduse caput praescundit Perseus), from Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' 1606
antoniotempesta
themetropolitanmuseumofart
drawing, print, etching, engraving
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drawing
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allegory
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etching
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landscape
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mannerism
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figuration
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ancient
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history-painting
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italian-renaissance
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engraving
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sword
This etching by Antonio Tempesta depicts the mythical Greek hero Perseus killing Medusa, a Gorgon known for her deadly gaze that could turn men to stone. The scene, taken from Ovid's "Metamorphoses", shows Perseus triumphantly holding Medusa's severed head, while her body lies defeated on the ground. Pegasus, the winged horse born from Medusa's blood, takes flight in the background. Tempesta's use of detailed lines and shading creates a sense of drama and tension, capturing the intensity of this legendary encounter.
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