Twee hoofden van Gorgonen c. 1650 - 1670

Giovanni Battista Galestruzzi created this etching, “Two Heads of Gorgons,” sometime in the 17th century. The image evokes a classical myth, that of Medusa, whose gaze could turn men to stone. Galestruzzi’s Medusa exists within a patriarchal framework. The disembodied heads remind us that Medusa was a figure of both terror and tragedy, eventually beheaded by Perseus. Consider her gaze, a symbol of female power, and how it was perceived as a threat that needed to be neutralized. One head is serene, eyes closed, while the other is alert with her mouth open, perhaps caught in a silent scream? The snakes which replace her hair become both a symbol of monstrous otherness and a potent emblem of female rage. The composition asks us to confront our fears and desires, and question the narratives that demonize female strength. It serves as a reminder of the stories we tell, and the voices we silence.