He produced a bust of Julius Caesar which confirmed his choices. Medusaīefore attacking the casting of Medusa, Cellini carried out experiments, in particular with the clay that would be used for the molds. Once the bronze has cooled, the outer clay shell is split to reveal the statue. The bronze is then poured into the gap between the two layers of clay. The wax is then covered with a clay cover. The sculpture is shaped in wax on a hollow earthen mold. To cast the statue in one piece, Cellini used the lost wax technique. The challenge is considerable, since the technique of casting a bronze statue of this height has been lost since antiquity. The stages for Perseus with the Head of MedusaĬellini first tackled Medusa, then Perseus itself, and finally the marble base and the bronze additions that would adorn it. Finally, he wanted to enrich the theme of Perseus by adding bas-reliefs to the base that would recall different aspects of the myth. Moreover, since the statue was to be placed under an archway, and not with its back to a wall, he had to ensure that the statue was harmonious from all possible points of view.

The eleven sections that were cast separately and then welded together did indeed reveal defects (non-uniform color of the alloys, visible welds, varying thickness of the bronze from one section to another, etc.) that Cellini considered unacceptable for his project. From the right foot of Perseus to the head of Medusa, the height retained is 3.20 meters, the rest being dedicated to a 3 meter base for the sculpture.Ĭellini also set himself the very ambitious challenge of casting the statue in a single block, despite its considerable size, to avoid the pitfalls encountered by Donatello with his sculpture of Judith and Holofernes. To facilitate the realization, as well as for aesthetic reasons (the proportions of a six-meter statue would have seemed too excessive), he cut the total height of the statue in two. Conception of the work Perseus with the Head of Medusaīecause the elements were too fragile (the wings of the sandals and helmet, the sword with its curved blade, the outstretched arm holding Medusa's head, etc.) to be sculpted in marble, Cellini decided to use art bronze, despite the projected height of six meters. The hero Perseus, in fact, fears no adversary and triumphs over all trials.Ĭosimo I asked that the head of Medusa be brandished in the air by Perseus, illustrating the triumph of good over evil and symbolizing the victory of the Medici over the republicans of Florence who had expelled them from the city in 1494. This myth is rich in themes (the exploits of a hero, the inevitable destiny, the curse, the triumph over monstrosity, etc.) that Cosimo I, wishing to leave a strong imprint on Florence, wanted to exploit. The subject chosen was the myth of Perseus. Duke Cosimo I of Tuscany took him into his service and commissioned a statue to add to the masterpieces, including Michelangelo's David, that already adorned the Piazza della Signoria. In 1545, Cellini left the court of Francis I to return to Florence. The commission of Perseus with the Head of Medusa It is considered one of the masterpieces of the artistic Renaissance.

Perseus holding the head of Medusa is a bronze sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini, inaugurated in 1554 under the Loggia dei Lanzi1, in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence.

Perseus with the head of medusa