Medusa

Artist Kahlil Gibran (American, 1883 - 1931)

Datec. 1905 - 1908

Mediumpastel on paper

DimensionsSheet: 13 1/2 × 8 1/2 inches (34.3 × 21.6 cm)
Matted: 20 × 16 inches (50.8 × 40.6 cm)

Credit LineGift of Mary Haskell Minis.

Object number1950.8.17

On View

Not on view

CopyrightThe images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextAncient culture and mythology fascinated Gibran throughout his life. Here, he portrays the Greek mythological figure of Medusa, who was said to be a monster with venomous snakes for hair with the power to turn anyone who looked at her into stone. Although many representations of Medusa in Western art history portray her as a grotesque monster, Gibran’s Medusa is conventionally beautiful. The coiled snakes on her head are abstracted to the point of nearly being indistinguishable, and despite the prominent and symbolic skull necklace at her throat, the focus of the image is the expression of shock on Medusa’s face.

Collections