For me, one of the highlights within The Harris collection is Benvenuto Cellini’s Bronze statue Perseus with the Head of Medusa, located on the Second Floor. The sculpture depicts a gruesome scene from Greek Mythology: hero Perseus holding aloft the severed head of the fearsome monster Medusa, as he stands triumphant on the crumpled remains of her body.

As the original story goes, Medusa started off as a beautiful Priestess of Athena. She was relentless pursued by Poseidon, so to try and escape his advances she sought shelter in Athena’s Temple. The temple walls did nothing to shield her from the desire of a powerful God and this act angered Athena greatly. She viewed the deed as a defilement of her Temple and pinned the blame on Medusa, transforming her into a monstrous gorgon with snakes for hair and a gaze that would instantly turn people to stone. The story of the myth then leads us to the image depicted within the statue, as Perseus is sent on an impossible quest to slay the ‘monster’ and bring back her head as proof of completion.

In my opinion, the myth of Medusa exists as one of the most important Greek Myths when revisited with a modern, feminist lens. During my Master’s Degree, I modernised the classical story to draw an emphasis on the way Medusa is the victim in the myth. I believe Cellini’s statue alludes in several ways to the problematic nature of the supposedly heroic deed. Firstly, the downturned angle of Perseus’ head; whilst this could be interpreted as his avoiding the gaze of the gorgon, I would like to believe that he is showing exhaustion and remorse for the murder he has committed. The shard of the sword he desperately clutches in his right hand clearly reflects the intense battle and suggests that once against Medusa had the strength to fight against her impending fate.

At the bottom of the statue, underneath Perseus’ feet, Medusa’s broken body is slumped over a plinth. For the second time, her body has been wickedly defiled by a man, and I interpret that the inclusion of this plinth represents how the murder of Medusa catapulted Perseus to fame within Greek Mythology. To the general population, the name Medusa most likely conjures a mental image of a gruesome monster. In contrast, Perseus is known as a brave hero who slew a monstrous beast. The reality of the dynamic between the two is clear and with the feminist lens, we see Medusa clearly as a victim of horrific circumstances.

The statue is located within the Greek Mythology themed case on the second floor. Some of the chosen Harris collection pieces with this case are themed around a feminist perspective that was sorely missing within the original epic poetry of the likes of Ovid and Homer.