Perseus and Andromeda (Leighton) daughters of Poseidon, the god of the sea. When the nymphs became aware of her claims, they protested to their father, who retaliated by calling up a sea monster called Cetus to patrol and wreak havoc along the coastline of Ethiopia placing Cassiope's kingdom at risk. In response the Queen, together with her husband Cepheus, decided to sacrifice her daughter, Princess Andromeda, to the monster. Andromeda was chained to a rock at the edge of the sea as an offering to the monster. Perseus was travelling back home on his winged horse, Pegasus, after battling with Medusa. He rescued Andromeda
Perseus with the Head of Medusa appropriately surrounded by three huge marble statues of men: Hercules, David, and later Neptune. Cellini breathed new life into the piazza visitor through his new use of bronze in Perseus and the head of Medusa and the motifs he used to respond to the previous sculpture in the piazza. If one examines the sculpture from the back, you can see the self-image of the sculptor Cellini on the backside of Perseus' helmet. The sculpture is thought to be the first statue since the classical age where the base included a figurative sculpture forming an integral part of the work. Cellini