A masterpiece of Baroque sculpture, Medusa (c.1638-1648) by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) depicts the Greek mythological figure Medusa, caught in the moment of turning into a Gorgon, a monstrous creature with snakes for hair. Typical of Bernini’s sculptural work, she is turned at an angle and captured in the midst of dramatic change, her tormented face increasing the viewer’s understanding of the narrative moment. While little is known about its creation, some consider Bernini’s use of marble to be a subtle visual pun, using stone to represent a figure known to turn others to stone.

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