Head of Medusa, two studies for Rondanini Medusa c. 1873 - 1877

Editor: So, this drawing, "Head of Medusa, two studies for Rondanini Medusa" by Edward Burne-Jones, dates from around 1873-1877. It’s done in pencil, a very delicate rendering of a very dramatic moment. The faces are full of terror! What do you see in it? Curator: These aren’t just faces displaying terror. They are containers, emptied of their original selves, waiting to be filled with cultural anxieties. Consider Medusa, traditionally a monstrous figure, petrifying men with a gaze. Burne-Jones offers a nuanced, even sympathetic Medusa, echoing shifts in Victorian attitudes towards women – as objects of fear, but also of pity. What does Medusa *mean* to you? Editor: Well, the horror… maybe the power she possesses? But the drawing…it’s so gentle, a little sad, rather than fearsome. Curator: Precisely! The gentleness of the pencil strokes underscores a re-evaluation of Medusa. This isn’t about monsters; it’s about vulnerability. She's an image reflecting the complex fears and desires projected onto women. Notice how Burne-Jones softens her features. What might he be implying? Editor: That even monsters might be victims, perhaps? That Medusa's terror isn't just *her* terror? Curator: Exactly! And look at the placement of the heads. Two studies. Are they meant to be compared? Or are they a before and after? Think about the myth – Medusa's gaze petrifies. But here, Burne-Jones asks us to gaze at *her*, to understand the terror *behind* the gaze. He asks us to see, perhaps, what is truly monstrous. Editor: That’s powerful! I thought it was just a drawing of a scary monster but it is loaded with much deeper stuff!