Why it matters
Caravaggio painted two versions of the Gorgon Medusa at the moment she is killed by Perseus, and the Medusas are also self-portraits. Painted on a shield, the work is said to show his fascination with violence and realism.
Did you know?
- It was commissioned by Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte as a gift for Ferdinando I de' Medici.
- The versions date from 1596 and about 1597.
- The version in the Uffizi is unsigned.
Based on the Wikipedia article Medusa (Caravaggio) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
