Masker van het hoofd van Medusa 1897

This is an anonymous photograph of a sculpture depicting the mask of Medusa’s head. The myth of Medusa has long captivated our imaginations. Originally a beautiful woman, she was transformed into a Gorgon with snakes for hair, and a gaze that could turn men to stone. Medusa’s story has been interpreted in various ways over time, as a symbol of female rage and resistance against patriarchal power structures. This anonymous depiction maintains some elements of her monstrous representation, yet there is also a classical serenity to her face. I wonder, who was the intended audience for this photograph? Was it meant to perpetuate the tale of a monster, or to humanize a figure who, through myth, has become a symbol of the monstrous-feminine? Medusa embodies the intersection of beauty and terror, victim and avenger, challenging us to confront uncomfortable truths about power, gender, and representation.