Medusa in Venus' Bedroom
Gouache on paper, 12 x 8 inches (30 x 20 cm), 2008.
Medusa in Venus' Bedroom - whole picture
27th January 2008
It's becoming a good year for Medusa. This is the second painting of that redoubtable femme fatale so far this year, in fact all paintings have so far been of Medusa and it is high time she had a gallery all of her own - an issue I shall shortly be addressing...
This is a painting thought up rather on the spot last week as I sat making a sketch of the shapely behind of a life model. This picture is more or less the same pose, and though I generally don't work from life for my paintings (the life-drawing being more like practice than actual source material) it did seem a shame not to use the pose, which reminded me of 'The Rokeby Venus' which hangs in the National Gallery - see below. Of course the thing with the mirror in this case is, I suspect, rather because to painting was done for someone who rather liked bottoms, and wasn't overly interested in faces.
The Rokeby Venus, by Diego Velázquez (1599 - 1660)
There's no reason why one shouldn't see Venus, the Roman goddess of love, face-on. But Medusa now - she's a different prospect entirely - quite deadly to look straight at her, though according to the story it's perfectly safe to view her reflection in a mirror. So I've swapped Goddesses. Yes I know that Medusa isn't technically a goddess, but she was around at the time in any case before she met an untimely demise at the hands of Perseus.
Detail of Medusa and Cupid
So here is a Medusa safe for the viewer, though no-wonder Cupid is covering his face - one glance at into her eyes and he's a garden ornament, like the one outside. Of course had this had a medieval Christian setting I might have littered the garden outside with petrified cherubs, but this being Classical times there seems to have been only the one small winged fellow available so the statue behind Cupid is either his imagination or may serve as a warning...
Detail of Medusa and reflection
The colours are a little far from my usual pallet - VERY pink and purple, but then again this is Venus' pose, so perhaps it's her bedroom, too, or Cupid would not be nearby. Don't ask me what Medusa is doing there, she just is. The Apple - detail below - belongs to Venus, too, though for the story of that and how she 'won' it you'll have to look to the story accompanying one of my other paintings: 'For the Fairest'.
Venus's Apple (very much enlarged)
All images and prints are © Nancy Farmer. Please email me if you wish to reproduce any of these images, or see my permissions page in the 'info' section.
Original
(please contact me if you are interested in buying this original)
Title: Medusa in Venus' Bedroom
Details: Gouache on paper, 12 x 8 inches (30 x 20 cm), 2008.
Frame: framed
£ 850.00 (plus shipping), subject to availability
For information on buying originals from this site please see my purchase information page.
Prints
Open edition, signed prints are available for this image.
Open edition prints:
| price | shipping | paper size | aproximate image size | buy | other info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £7.50 | free | A5 | 7 x 5 inch / 18 x 13 cm | ||
| £12.50 | free | A4 | 10.5 x 7 inch / 27 x 18 cm | ||
| £26.00 | free | A3+ | 18 x 12 inch / 46 x 30 cm |
Discount for multiple purchase:
I offer a discount on several open edition prints bought at once (they do not have to be the same image). Using the buttons below you can order 4 prints at once. Please list the titles of the prints in the text field below before clicking the 'Buy Me' button. Please note - the prices below do not include the few images which are available only as limited editions. A list of these is in the limited edition section of the prints page in the shop. If you would rather email me instead I am happy to complete orders personally.
| total price | shipping | description | buy | other info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £24 | free | 4 x A5 open edition prints
(£6.00 each) |
Does not include limited editions |
|
| £38 | free | 4 x A4 open edition prints
(£9.50 each) |
Does not include limited editions |
|
| £80 | free | 4 x A3+ open edition prints
(£20.00 each) |
Does not include limited editions |
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