Medusa Bas-relief, Petit Trianon
This bas-relief wall panel adorns the stair hall of the Petit Trianon at Versailles, designed by the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel for Louis XV and his mistress Mme de Pompadour, though it is indelibly associated with its subsequent owner, Queen Marie-Antoinette. The Petit Trianon is one of Gabriel’s masterworks and its stair hall one of his most famous rooms. The centerpiece of the military-themed trophy is a shield bearing the head of Medusa; in Greek mythology this shield was one of the attributes of Athena, and could turn enemies who looked at it to stone.
French mat and ebonized wood frame.
Frame dimensions: 36 x 44 cm; 14″ x 17½”