Dangerous Beauty: The Evolution of Medusa Imagery in Greek Art

This research focuses on vases ranging from the 5th to 2nd centuries that depict the transformation of the Gorgon Medusa. The image of Medusa on Greek vases became more beautiful during and after the period of the Greek and Persian Wars. These images show bride abduction and a growing interest of the differences between the Greeks and Persians. Throughout the Greek period, her depiction relied on the purpose for their society and culture. The Archaic form, seen in Interior of A Black-figure Eye-cup Showing a Gorgoneion would have been a symbol of caution, recognizable to all, or an apotropaic image, one that is so terrifying that it would ward off evil. The next form, which is when the first transformation takes place, is recognized as the Transitional form and is seen in the Attic Red-Figured Vase depicting Perseus Cutting Off Medusa’s Head As She Sleeps. In this phase, the Gorgon begins to take less of a gruesome form as she develops a body and more human-like features. Although she is still a monster, the next phase referred to as the Beautiful phase is seen in the Apulian Red Figure Krater showing Perseus and Athena With The Head Of Medusa from 385 BCE. In this phase, Medusa is indiscernible from the other non-monstrous figures except for her head of snakes. These vases show the chronological evolution of the image of Medusa due to her use of propaganda in the Greek world. This imagery revolved around the Persians Wars and the recovery that the Greeks endured. Medusa became a stand-in for the Persians, indicative by her dress patterns and the underlying cultural references to bride abduction