Brooch with Head of Medusa
Designer: George Hunt (British, 1892-1960)
Date: about 1935
Dimensions:
H: 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm); W: 3 1/2 in. (8.5 cm)
Medium: Gold, silver, enamel, citrine, sapphires, pearls, chalcedony, garnets, paste, topaz, and crystal
Classification: Metalwork
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Florence Scott Libbey Bequest in Memory of her Father, Maurice A. Scott
Object number: 1992.6
Label Text:Made in 1935 for the artist’s sister, this brooch represents the British Crafts Revival movement, which was a continuation of the late-19th century Arts and Crafts movement. George Hunt’s striking design and craftsmanship adheres to the Arts and Crafts movement’s elevation of the hand of the artist over mass production.
The brooch is set with the head of Medusa after the ancient Greek marble head, the Medusa Rondanini (440 BCE), so named after its 18th-century owner the Marchese Rondanini. In Greek mythology Medusa was a monstrous figure, whose hair was formed of snakes and whose glance could kill. Here, she is carved from citrine in a more humanized and beautiful rendering than the typically grotesque representation of a monster.
The brooch is set with the head of Medusa after the ancient Greek marble head, the Medusa Rondanini (440 BCE), so named after its 18th-century owner the Marchese Rondanini. In Greek mythology Medusa was a monstrous figure, whose hair was formed of snakes and whose glance could kill. Here, she is carved from citrine in a more humanized and beautiful rendering than the typically grotesque representation of a monster.
On view
In Collection(s)