P23.6 PERSEUS & MEDUSA
| Museum Collection | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
|---|---|
| Catalogue No. | New York 45.11.1 |
| Beazley Archive No. | 213438 |
| Ware | Attic Red Figure |
| Shape | Pelike |
| Painter | Attributed to Polygnotos |
| Date | ca. 450 - 440 B.C. |
| Period | Classical |
DESCRIPTION
Perseus beheads the Gorgon Medusa. The hero wears a chlamys cloak, winged cap and winged boots, and grasps the Gorgon by the hair as he slices through her neck with a sickle-blade (harpe). Medusa is depicted as a beautiful, winged woman, asleep with her head resting on folded hands. She does not possess any of the monstrous Gorgon features typical of art from this era. On the far left, the hero's patron-goddess Athena stands offering him her support. She wears a helm and snake-trimmed aegis-cloak, and holds a spear.