Painted on canvas attached to a round wooden shield, Caravaggio’s (1571-1610) "Medusa" takes on a doubly mythological meaning. Both versions of the work, one painted in 1596 and the other in 1597, depict the figure Medusa after she was slain by Perseus, showing her decapitated head streaming with blood. The painted shield was a conscious choice, as Perseus used a mirrored shield during his attack to avoid Medusa’s petrifying gaze. Painting in the Baroque style, Caravaggio emphasized Medusa’s shocked face and the writhing snakes of her hair, capturing her at the exact moment between life and death.
