Perseus Beheading Medusa - a Piece of Art by Andre Racz - Essay Example

? Perseus Beheading Medusa Perseus Beheading Medusa Perseus Beheading Medusa is a piece of art by Andre Racz. Notably, there are many versions of Perseus Beheading Medusa piece of art which include Perseus Beheading Medusa , 1,4, 5, & 8 but this paper will analyze the painting, Perseus Beheading Medusa by Andre Racz dated 1945. Indeed, the painting Perseus Beheading Medusa by Andre Racz is a unique piece of art and reflects artistic perfection especially because its artist, Andre Racz was an artist and professor of painting and sculpture at Columbia for 32 years. The Perseus Beheading Medusa painting measures 21 13/16 x 14 7/8 inches. (55.4 x 37.78 cm) (Plate) 25 3/4 x 18 5/8 inches. (65.41 x 47.31 cm) (sheet, irregular) (Artnet Worldwide Corporation, 2013). As a result, the painting is clear and visible to the naked eye where the audience enjoys its artistic perfection. Most notable is the color engraving, soft-ground etching, and scorper that define the texture, boundary, and coloration of the painting. Andre Racz who was an artist and professor of painting and sculpture made the painting in North America, United States in 1945 (Artnet Worldwide Corporation, 2013) (20th Century) with an adoption of the North America culture although he was born in Romania. Notably, there is a pencil inscription depicting the sign and date of signing on the painting, Perseus Beheading Medusa (ARCADJA, 2013). The painting received credit from the Credit?Gift of funds from the Print and Drawing Council with an accession Number?P.99.12.1. The painting, Perseus Beheading Medusa depicts the image of Perseus cutting the head off the Medusa. Medusa also refers to the guardian protectress (Wallace, 2003). More so, the media terms Medusa as a Gorgon or a monster who was conversely a very beautiful maiden (Wallace, 2003). Nevertheless, Medusa desecrated the goddess Athena's temple by sleeping there with Poseidon prompting Poseidon to turn her into a monster with live snakes covering her head (Wallace, 2003). As such, the media refers to the Medusa as a monster with a face of a hideous human female with living venomous snakes on her head. Although, Medusa had three beautiful sisters, Medusa was the only moral one and her beauty mesmerized Poseidon. On the contrary, Medusa did not care about Poseidon and hence he turned her and her sisters into monsters (Wallace, 2003). Because of the aspect of being a monster, any person looking directly at the Medusa would immediately turn into stone (Wallace, 2003). In the same kingdom, Perseus was the son of Danae who later fell in love with Polydectes (Wallace, 2003). Subject to the love affair between Perseus mother and Polydectes, Polydectes hatched a plot to kill Perseus by sending him to fetch the head of Medusa the monster (Wallace, 2003). However, the gods loved Perseus and helped him to succeed in cutting Medusa’s head. Indeed, they gave Perseus winged sandals, a curved sword, a helmet that made Perseus invisible, and a mirror like shield which allowed him to see a reflection of Medusa’s face and to avoid being turned into stone (Wallace, 2003). With these materials, Perseus was able to cut the head of Medusa and hence the painting according to the media. In addition, the media asserts that later on, the hero Perseus used the head of Medusa as a weapon before handing over the head to the goddess of Athena (Wallace, 2003). The painting, Perseus Beheading Medusa is a bronze sculpture and has been one of the most famous statues in modern art. At the time of producing this painting, Hayter and other artists were working at Atelier 17 where they were actively experimenting in color printing techniques. The painting has a dull look and depicts the sketchy image of a person holding a head. The person is also holding a sword on the right hand. The painting has artist's proof, signed, dated, titled, and inscribed "A/A" in pencil at the lower margin (ARCADJA, 2013). It has a very good, dark impression, a warm plate tone, and inky edges (ARCADJA, 2013). The black lines on the painting mark the boundary of the painting. The image in the painting is seemingly on a squatting position and depicts a brave pose. Notably, the painting has a brown background and the image only presents the skeleton of Perseus. On a closer look, one can figure out that Perseus is wearing something on his head. Ideally, the painting depicts a magnificent piece of art. Indeed, the painting, Perseus Beheading Medusa was on auction at Swann Galleries on March 2 2004 in New York City (ARCADJA, 2013). The painting has an embossing, which keeps this piece of art in a good condition (Artnet Worldwide Corporation, 2013). Andre Racz produced the Perseus Beheading Medusa which depicted a dramatic interpretation of the mythic Greek hero-warrior Perseus, who victoriously holds the severed head of the slain Gorgon monster Medusa. Born in 1916 and died in 1994, Andre Racz was the author of the painting, Perseus Beheading Medusa. Andre Racz was an American who was born in Romania (Pineiro, 1994). Indeed, he was born in Cluj, Romania and graduated from the University of Bucharest in 1935 (Pineiro, 1994). After his graduation, Andre Racz came to the United States of America in 1939 and became a naturalized citizen in 1948 (Pineiro, 1994). Andre Racz came to US after the outbreak of the World War in 1939 where he joined other European artists who resided in America. He later on became a seasoned artist, printmaker, and professor of painting and sculpture at Columbia for 32 years where he made significant contributions in the world of art (Pineiro, 1994). His prominence in arts was evident in the various perfect prints, drawings, paintings, and sculptures that relate to him especially in America, South America, and Europe. He had a unique touch on art where he used fiction and poetry in his works. His drawings and paintings including the Perseus Beheading Medusa can confirm this. Between 1943 and 1945, Andre Racz was working at Atelier 17 in New York City. His works are in various collections in America and his prowess led him to become the head of the graduate division of painting and sculpture in the School of the Arts when he joined the Columbia faculty in 1951 (Pineiro, 1994). References ARCADJA. (2013). Some works of Andre Racz. Retrieved from: http://www.arcadja.com/auctions/en/racz_andre/artist/108531/ Artnet Worldwide Corporation. (2013). Perseus beheading Medusa by Andre Racz. Retrieved from: http://www.artnet.com/artists/andre-racz/perseus-beheading-medusa-h2ciMsvVbHEQj8zK41Xgrg2 Pineiro, J. (1994). Andre Racz, 77, Artist, Professor. Retrieved from: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/record/archives/vol20/vol20_iss6/record2006.28.html Wallace, N. (2003). Perseus Beheading Medusa. Retrieved from: http://www.jssgallery.org/Other_Artists/Benvenuto_Cellini/Photo_Cellni_bronze_statue_Perseus_beheading_Medusa.htm Read More