The Embodiment and Interpretation of Greek Mythology in The Renaissance: Analyzing Perseus with The Head of Medusa

Abstract

Greek mythology had a significant influence on the arts and literature in the Renaissance. From the epic poems of Iliad and Odyssey and the ancient Theogony, to the well-known plays of Greek tragedy and modern adaptations of the gods and heroes in both literature and screens, Greek mythology is foreign to no one. This dissertation aims to discuss the embodiment and the inventive interpretation of Greek mythology in a piece of Renaissance artwork Perseus with the head of Medusa. It looks into the original story from Hesiod’s Theogony and Ovid’s Metamorphoses and analyzes the symbolic influence of classical traditions. Expanding the contextual perspectives puts the artwork on a wider stage of the society of the time and examines the semiotics within this sculpture that show the unique Renaissance interpretation. The Renaissance concept about secularism, rationalism, and individualism is also explained through the iconography analysis and the comparison with the ancient artwork. With the help of useful references, this dissertation incorporates aspects like art, mythology, literature, politics, social psychology, and ideology to offer some knowledge of the sculpture by Cellini as well as the Renaissance world.