Perseus beheading Medusa

VARIABLES FOR SCULPTURE ANALYSIS							DATE: 06/10/09
CLASSIFICATION:
NAME OF THE WORK:		Perseus beheading Medusa
NAME OF THE AUTHOR:		Benvenuto Cellini
PERIOD:		1545-1554
PLACE WHERE THE WORK IS AT:		Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence
TECHNIQUE:		Fusion and assembling of metals
ANALYSIS
CONCEPT					VARIABLES
MATERIAL					Bronze
MOVEMENT					Smooth
TYPE					Sculpture in the round
POSTURE					Straight up
BODY PART					Whole body
RELATIONSHIP WITH ARCHITECTURE					Separated from a building
THEME					Religious	Nudity		Mythological
PRINCIPLES					Asymmetrical balance	Proportion		Variety
					Movement	Rhythm		Emphasis
SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WORK
What is so special and unique about this work of art?				The harmony between the upper sculpture made of bronze and the marble base one. (Sullivan) The way Benvenuto signed the piece of art. He signed it in the belt and made his self-portrait in the back of the helmet. (Ramerini)
RELEVANT EVENTS OF THE CONTEXT
What was the prevailing atmosphere of the period? What was the cause of it?				It was a competition atmosphere. Everyone wanted their own masterpiece. “The sculpture can be considered as the result of a direct competition with Donatello's earlier sculpture, Judith and Holophernes.” (Web Gallery of Art)
What were the predominant political, religious or artistic ideologies?				The artist had to do whatever the Duke said. Cosimo I was the Duke in that time. (Borghi di Toscana)
What scientific and technological advances made and impact in the period? In which way?				There was more research in the anatomic aspects. This helped the artist to get more familiarized with the human body. (Diez)
REFLECTION: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CONTEXT AND THE WORK
Is this work of art reflecting the atmosphere of the period? In which way?			This work of art is reflecting the atmosphere in that period because it was an attempt to make a sculpture as good as Michelangelo’s and Donatello’s. (Web Gallery of Art)
Is this work of art reflecting the predominant ideologies of the period? In which way			Yes because the Cellini’s Perseus was a desire of Cosimo I, the Duke. He asked him to make that sculpture to tell the people that the past republic was over. That the true democracy was coming. (Tuscany turist)
Is the impact of the scientific and technological advances reflected in this work of art? In which way?			Could be, because in this sculpture we can see a whole body, and it’s well worked. Benvenuto had to know the human body to make a good representation.
PERSONAL REFLECTION:
What are the aspects of the period that you identify yourself with? Why?	The aspect of being in competence. I always try to be one of the best. I give my best in all what I do. I want to be remembered for something big in a good way. It just like Benvenuto, he tried to compete with Donatello for example.
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF THE PLACE OF ORIGEN OF THE WORK

Opinion

I’m really amazed by the realism of the sculpture. You can actually see the veins and the muscles. How the skin is stretched. The abdomen is so well worked. But giving it an interpretation is kind of hard, because they are mythological characters. As how I said before, it was a demand of the Duke, saying that the past republic, the republic could be Medusa, was over and the democracy was starting, the new democracy or the government of Cosimo I could be Perseus.

Representation

For my representation I decided to actually make an sculpture, but not a marble or a bronze one, i decided to make one with my body. The sculptures always are kind of perfect, a body just amaizing, but what if mine is not that perfect. It is just like all of us. Also, as you are going to see later, i'm holding my own head. What i'm trying to say with this is that all of us have our sad face and our happy face. I would like to invite you to cut your sad head off and let the happy one live.





Bibliography

Web Gallery of Art.http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/c/cellini/index.html

Artcyclopedia.http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/cellini_benvenuto.html

JSS Virtual Gallery. Wallace, Natasha. http://jssgallery.org/other_artists/Benvenuto_Cellini/Photo_Cellni_bronze_statue_Perseus_beheading_Medusa.htm

Sullivan, Ann.Bluffton.http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/lanzi/lanzi.html

Ramerini, Marco. Borghi di Toscana. http://www.borghiditoscana.net/eng/tuscany/firenze/firenze/loggiasignoria/perseo.html

Tuscany tourist. http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/intoscana2/export/TurismoRTen/sito-TurismoRTen/Contenuti/Elementi-interesse/Monumenti/visualizza_asset.html_549916293.html

Diez, Monica. Cibernous. http://www.cibernous.com/crono/historia/renacimiento/rena.html