Record:1

MythologyinArt.By:Carroll,Colleen.Arts&Activities,May2013,
Vol.153Issue4,p1919,1pAbstract:Thearticleoffersan
educationalresourcethatexplorestheuseofmythinart.
ParticularfocusisgiventoGreekmythology.Additionaltopics
discussedincludethestoryofthemythicalcreatureMedusa,the
sculpture"PerseuswiththeHeadofMedusa,"byBenvenuto
CelliniandinsightsonCellini'stechnique.(AN87381484)
Database: ArtSource

MythologyinArt
CLIP&SAVEARTNOTES
Tothisday,thenamealonehasthepowertosendchillsupthespineyettotheancientGreeks,thevery
thoughtofhercould(anddid)instillterrorintheheartiestofsouls.
AccordingtheGreekmythology,MedusawasaGorgon,asnakehairedmonstercapableofturningany
livingthingthathadthemisfortunetolookuponher
tostone.ButMedusawasnotalwaysaGorgon:she
transformedintoone.
ThestoryofMedusahasbeentoldforcenturies,theconclusionofwhichisportrayedinthismonth'sClip
&SaveArtPrint.Thebronzestatue,PerseuswiththeHeadofMedusa,bytheManneristsculptor
BenvenutoCellini,depictsthemomentdirectlyafterthedemigodPerseuschopsoffMedusa'shead,
therebyfulfillinghispromisetodeliverittotheabusiveKingPolydektesofSeriphos,whoisplanningto
marryhismother,Daena,againstherwill.
AlthoughPerseusrepresentstheclassicherointhismyth,Medusa'sbackstory,andwhatmadeherthe
mostevilandterrifyingcreatureinGreekmythology,bearsexplanation.Medusawasonceabeautiful
priestessintheserviceofthegoddess,Athena.Oneday,whileperformingherdutiesinAthena'stemple
(theParthenon),Poseidon,godofthesea,savagelyrapesthebeautifulvirgin.Becauseherpositionas
priestessrequiredsheliveachastelife,thebrutalactisconsideredasacrilegeofthehighestdegree.
InsteadofblamingPoseidon,AthenacursestheyoungMedusa,causingherbeautifulfacetowitherand
crack,andherlonghairtobereplacedbywrithing,venomousserpents:aGorgonmonster.Athena
banishesMedusatoaremoteislandtoliveoutherdaysinsolitude.Asafinalcurse,anylivingthingthat
lookeduponherfacewouldinstantlybeturnedtostone.
Duringancienttimes,theimageofMedusawassofearedthatwarriorsoftenrodeintobattlewithit
emblazonedontheirchestplates,asseeninthePompeianmosaicfragmentofAlexandertheGreat,and
parentsplacedherimageondangerousobjects,suchasovens,tokeeptheirchildrenfromharm.
ABOUTTHEARTWORK
BenvenutoCellini(15001571)wasaFlorentinegoldsmith,sculptor,andwriter.Thismonth'sClip&Save
ArtPrint,PerseuswiththeHeadofMedusa,isconsideredhismasterpiece.Castusingthelostwax

technique,thesculptureisreveredforeleganceofline,complexdetails,anddramaticeffect,allhallmarks
oftheMannerism,aperiodofartthatoccurredduringtheHighRenaissance."DerivedfromtheItalian
maniera,'meaningsimply'style,'mannerismissometimesdefinedasthe'stylishstyle'foritsemphasison
selfconsciousartificeoverrealisticdepiction"(source:www.nga.gov).
Inhisautobiography,Celliniwroteofthedifficultyheencounteredincastingthepiece,whichwas
commissionedbyDukeCosimod'MediciIasasymbolofhispoliticalpower."Cellini'sPerseusalsohas
politicalmeaning,justlikethevastmajorityofthestatuaryinthepiazza.Indeed,itrepresentsthenew
GrandDuke'sdesiretobreakawayfromexperiencesoftheearlierrepublicandsendamessagetothe
people,whicharerepresentedbyMedusa"(source:www.turismo.intoscana.it).
The18footsculpture,whichstandsintheLoggiadeiLanziinthePiazzaSignoria,showstheyouthful
PerseusontopofMedusa'sheadlessbodyashetriumphantlyholdshisprizealoft.Thelevelofdetailis
remarkableforabronzesculpture,andithasbeennotedthatCellini'sexpertiseasagoldsmithallowed
himtoachievesuchresults,asevidencedbythesubtlymodeledmusculature,thetreatmentofthehero's
hair,andtheserpentsandgorethatmakeMedusaterrifyingevenwhendead.Cellinimusthavebeen
quiteproudofhiswork,ashesignedhisnameonthestrapthatrunsdiagonallyacrossPerseus'chest.
PRIMARY
BeforesharingtheArtPrintwithstudents,tellthemasimplifiedtaleofthePerseusandMedusalegends
topreparethemforthegraphicnatureoftheCellinisculpture.AftersharingtheArtPrint,leadashort
discussionabouthowsnakeimageryhasbeenusedsinceancienttimes,oftenasmonstrousorevil
creatures.Pointoutthatinsteadofhair,Medusa'sheadiscoveredwithpoisonoussnakes.
Givestudentsanopportunitytocreateanoriginalcharacterthatincorporatessnakesorotheranimals.
Oncestudentsfinishtheirartwork,challengethemtowriteortellashortstoryfeaturingtheircharacter.
(Haveyoungerstudentsdictatetheirstoryolderstudentscanwriteouttheirpiece).Collectallstoriesand
imagesintoanillustratedclassmythbook.
ELEMENTARY
OneofthemostpopularbookseriesattheelementarylevelisRickRiordans'PercyJacksonandthe
Olympiansseries.Inthefirstbookintheseries,TheLightningThief,Percy(namedafterthedemigod
Perseus),slaysMedusainherstonegarden.ManystudentswillbefamiliarwithRiordan'scontemporary
updateontheclassictaleofPerseusandMedusa.
ShowaclipfromthemoviethatfeaturesMedusabeforeintroducingtheArtPrint
(www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY4q2m9OFE).ExplaintostudentsthattheMedusasubjectandimage
hasbeenpopularsinceancienttimes,andisstillafertilesubjectforcontemporaryartistsandwriters
(suchasRiordan).ShowstudentsadditionalexamplesofMedusaimagery,suchastheoilonwoodpanel
paintingbyCaravaggiointheUffiziMusueminFlorence.(TherearemanyimagesofMedusaonGoogle
Images,manyofwhichareinappropriateforelementaryagechildren.Doapresearchofyourimage
baseandselectafewthataresuitabletoshowyourclass).Givestudentstimetocreatetheirownimage
ofMedusa.DisplayallfinishedworkalongsidetheArtPrint.
MIDDLESCHOOL

ManymiddleschoolsocialstudiesprogramsincludeastudyoftheancientGreeksandRomans.When
yourstudentsarelearningaboutancientGreekhistory,sharetheArtPrintandbeginashortunitonthe
imageryofGreekmythology.AsstudentsviewtheArtPrint,readaclassversionofthestory,suchasthe
examplefoundatwww.greekmythsgreekmythology.com/mythperseusandmedusa/.
Next,sharethefollowingvideothattellsthetalefromMedusa'spointofview:www.teacher.scholastic.
com/scholasticnews/magazines/assets/scope/medusavideo.html.
Havestudentworkinteamstocreateamovieposterforafilmentitled:TheNewAdventuresofPerseus
andMedusa.Havestudentsthinkofthekeyelementsofthestory,andhowbothcharacterswillbe
depictedbasedontheclassictale,orbasedonMedusa'ssideofthestory.
HIGHSCHOOL
SharetheArtPrintandthetitleoftheCellinimasterpiece.Althoughsomestudentsmaybefamiliarwith
themythofPerseusandMedusa,screenthe45minutevideothattellsthestoryofMedusa'scurseand
howshecametobeagorgonmonster:www.documentaryflick.com/clashofthegodsmedusa/#.
Discussthedocumentary,askingstudentstoreconsiderhowtheyfeelaboutMedusaastheclassic
monsterofmyth.Challengestudentstomaketheirownshortanimatedfilmthattellsthestoryfrom
Medusa'spointofview.
ChildeHassam(American18591935).AlliesDay,May1917,1917.Oiloncanvas36.5"x30.25".
NationalGalleryofArt.Washington,D.C.ArtworkisinthePublicDomain.
~~~~~~~~
ByColleenCarroll

Source:Arts&Activities,May2013,Vol.153Issue4,p19,1p
Item:87381484