Perseus With The Head of Medusa at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

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This is a colossal marble sculpture by Antonio Canova (1757-1822) and is originally from Rome, Italy, sculpted over 1804-6. Here the mythological hero Perseus triumphantly presents his trophy, Medusa's head, to the world. Through this dynamic pose, Canova draws our attention to the sweep of Perseus's idealiszed body, which is framed by a drape falling from his left arm. Designed in competition with the great statues of antiquity, the figure possesses full musculature and well-proportioned shoulders, hips and limbs. The Gorgon Medusa was feared for her ability to turn living men to stone. Here, Canova inverts this process. Deploying his renowned skill for manipulating the surface of marble, he has turned cold stone into warm flesh. The pose of Perseus is almost identical to the Belvedere Apollo (below)   This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.