Perseus and Andromeda (Leighton) by killing the monster. The couple fell in love but the Princess was already betrothed to Phineus. Perseus argued with Phineus at the wedding, but the fight was drawn to a conclusion when Phineus was turned to stone after Perseus brandished the head of the defeated Medusa. The mythological theme of Andromeda is depicted in a dramatic manner. The scene is a representation of the myth set on a rocky shore. Perseus is depicted flying above the head of Andromeda, on his winged horse Pegasus. He is shooting an arrow from the air, that hits the sea monster, who turns
Cultural depictions of Medusa and Gorgons BC) in Pompeii. In some cruder representations, the blood flowing under the head can be mistaken for a beard. By the Renaissance, artists depicted Medusa's head held aloft to represent the realistic human form of the triumphant hero Perseus (such as in the 1554 bronze statue "Perseus with the Head of Medusa" by Benvenuto Cellini). Medusa's head was also depicted to evoke horror by making the detached head the main subject (as demonstrated by the 1597 painting "Medusa" by Baroque originator Caravaggio). After the French Revolution, Medusa was used as a popular emblem of Jacobinism and was often displayed as