Medusa by Caravaggio

This 60x55 cm painting depicts the woman 'Medusa' with snakes in her hair and a decapitated head. This painting was created in 1597 by the famous painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, more famously known as Caravaggio. He is well known for being fairly notorious throughout the art world. This is because his iconography caused controversy with his depictions of religious figures. On a technical note, he is famous for his oil paintings and use of contrast within his pieces. This was the second piece by Caravaggio of Medusa's head. The first piece was titled "Murtula" in 1696. This piece is significant due to the violence depicted by the severed head. This piece has become one of Caravaggio's more well-known paintings.