Medusa

The screaming head of Medusa with snakes for hair, painted on a round convex shield. The figure holds the centre of the canvas, and everything around it, from the fall of the light to the setting, is there to bring it forward. Look closely and the details carry as much of its character as the face itself.

Its palette, measured from the canvas, is led by ink, with chocolate and umber in support: a low-lit, warm picture. Those warm tones give it a glow that comes alive in lamplight and deepens as the evening draws in. The near-square format holds everything close to the centre, which gives the picture its settled, quiet balance.

A near-square canvas like this one sits easily almost anywhere: above a console, in a reading nook or at the heart of a gallery wall. It brings a little theatre to a room for the autumn season, and keeps its mystery all year. Ink and chocolate are easy to echo in cushions, a throw or a painted wall nearby, and it holds its own in a mixed gallery wall.

Caravaggio made the original in 1597–98; in the collection it is listed under Baroque. It carries the drama of the Baroque, with deep shadow and a strong fall of light that pull the scene towards you. This painting is printed to order on gallery-wrapped canvas in 30 × 40 cm or 40 × 60 cm, from the image you see here. The canvas wraps around its frame, so it arrives ready to hang, with no framing needed. Want yourself in it instead? Add a photo and see your portrait free before you order.