Medusa Transforming - Original A4 Feminist Mythology Painting

Medusa Transforming catches Medusa in the midst of becoming a Gorgon. Her skin has already transformed to pale olive green, her hair has shifted to purple, and snakes are emerging from her body and winding upwards towards her head. Yet her youthful, vulnerable face remains unmistakably human. Drawing from Ovid's telling of Medusa's mythology, I wanted to look at her story through modern eyes. After Medusa is violated by Poseidon in Athena's temple, it is Medusa who is transformed by Athena. The person who has been harmed becomes the person who is feared, pursued and ultimately killed. That injustice makes Medusa a powerful figure through which to explore victim-blaming. Her blush carries fear and imposed shame, while her enormous golden eyes already contain the beginnings of the petrifying gaze for which she will become feared. The painting also draws on my own experience of purity culture and the lasting shame that intense religious ideas around sexual purity can create. Medusa becomes a way of exploring innocence, trauma and the painful act of carrying shame that was never yours to begin with. Autumnal russets, burnt reds, mauves and earthy shadows surround her luminous green face, creating a painting that is both beautiful and haunting. AT A GLANCE Original, one-of-a-kind artwork A4 - 21 by 29.7 cm Mixed media 300gsm acid-free, cold-pressed watercolour paper Sold unframed COLOUR PALETTE Olive green, purple, gold, russet, burnt orange, dusty red, mauve and earthy autumnal tones. FRAMING Sold unframed, ready for you to choose a frame that suits your own space and style. CONDITION AND CARE The finished artwork will be protected with Dorland's Wax Medium before dispatch. Please keep it dry and away from strong, direct sunlight. The display suggestion in the final image is a digital mock-up for display and scale reference. Designed and painted by Ember Cant in Retford, Nottinghamshire, UK.