Head of Medusa
Maker and role
Artist: Gabrielle Dumontet, French, 1860-1936
Year
1906
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Object detail
Media/Materials
Bronze with electric lights
Measurements
17 x 14 1/2 x 7 1/2in (43.2 x 36.8 x 19.1cm)
Credit line
Museum purchase with the Ralph A. Anderson Jr. Memorial Fund
Accession number
2006.44
Object type
Department
Location
Further information
For millennia, Medusa, whose gaze could turn onlookers to stone, was the personification of the femme fatale, the lethal maneater whose powers both inflamed male desire and destroyed masculine aggression. Gabrielle Dumontet’s Head of Medusa, a beautifully cast bronze with snake heads terminating in tiny lights, menacing vacant eyes, and gaping mouth, fits this mythological legend of a figure who was simultaneously beautiful and terrifying.
In a contemporary context, Medusa has become a symbol of female empowerment, a force for good, even protection. In particular, she is a positive reminder of survival for those who have been assaulted and is frequently depicted in tattoos.
In a contemporary context, Medusa has become a symbol of female empowerment, a force for good, even protection. In particular, she is a positive reminder of survival for those who have been assaulted and is frequently depicted in tattoos.
Documentation
Masques de Carpeaux à Picasso; 2008; p. 50, 52; cat. 32
Signature & date
Foundry mark behind the head at top center
Public comments
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