Illustration for Perseus 1920

Artuš Scheiner made this illustration of Perseus beheading Medusa at the turn of the 20th century. Scheiner’s image draws on classical mythology, a foundational cultural touchstone of European societies, to speak to contemporary issues of gender, power, and violence. Consider the political and social context of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, where Scheiner lived. His homeland, Bohemia, was undergoing a Czech National Revival. We can think about the symbolism of Perseus as a Czech hero overcoming the monstrous Medusa, a figure who could embody the oppressive forces of empire. Note the way Medusa is sexualized, her power as a woman twisted into a source of horror and monstrosity. Perseus, in this reading, reasserts patriarchal order. To truly understand this image, we would want to delve into Czech history, folklore, and the burgeoning feminist movements of the time. Art is never made in a vacuum; it's always in dialogue with the social and political forces of its time.