Medusa

Reinterpretation of the famous work housed in the Uffizi. The head of Medusa is isolated on a suspended green background, captured in the moment of decapitation. The mute scream, the eyes wide open, and the blood still flowing are rendered through a careful study of chiaroscuro, translated from Caravaggio's oil language to the tactile language of charcoal and pencils. The tangle of serpents wraps around the luminous face, creating a dramatic contrast between the warm light of the flesh and the cold, unreal background.

Following a visit to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, I was deeply struck by the famous work. Caravaggio's ability to crystallize the terror in Medusa's eyes at the exact moment of decapitation stirred in me a sense of awe and unease that has never left me. Months later, when in art school we were asked to create a work in a 50x70 format and Medusa appeared among the subjects, I accepted immediately. Thus began a long and tortuous journey, but extremely fulfilling.