Research Entry #6

Wrapping it up

    One of the most eye-opening resources was Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes. Haynes argues that mythical women have been “edited, omitted, or reinterpreted to serve patriarchal values” (Haynes 8). Haynes examines how figures like Medusa and Arachne were originally nuanced and multi-dimensional, but later art and literature turned them into monsters or warnings. For instance, Haynes shows that Medusa was once a symbol of protection as well as fear (Haynes 133).

    A recent exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, “Dangerous Beauty: Medusa in Classical Art,” also reframes Medusa not just as a monster, but as “an emblem of female rage and sorrow” (Metropolitan Museum). The exhibit’s curatorial notes and catalogue highlight how different artistic eras have emphasized either her terror or her tragedy, and how modern artists are now reclaiming her image as one of endurance rather than evil. Seeing these artworks (even virtually) pushed me to challenge the monstrous narrative and instead visualize Medusa as a survivor.


    In The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis, Barbara Creed explores how female monsters are constructed in Western culture, and how these depictions both reflect and reinforce societal anxieties about women’s power (Creed 6). Creed’s analysis of the “monstrous-feminine” gave me new tools for understanding and subverting how traits like rage, sexuality, or independence are coded as evil or unnatural. I applied this thinking when drawing Arachne, emphasizing her artistry and defiance rather than her supposed hubris.


    Contemporary illustration resources, such as the “Women of Myth” episode from the Proko art education channel, offer approaches to depicting mythic women with agency and personality. In the episode, artist Karla Ortiz shares her process for updating ancient figures with modern sensibility, focusing on “gesture, expression, and storytelling” to illustrate strength and vulnerability (Proko, 12:30–17:15). 

    Throughout these blog posts, I've explored how mythology, classic art, and pop culture have shaped and limited our visions of powerful women. By researching and reimagining figures like Medusa, Circe, Arachne, and Daphne, I've learned how art can reflect and challenge norms and narratives. As I move toward a career in book cover and fantasy art, I'm committed to using these lessons. I want my work to empower, to complicate, and to invite new readings of age-old stories. My hope is that my art will help make the worlds of fantasy a little more inclusive and empathetic. 
 

Sources:
Creed, Barbara. The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis. Routledge, 1993.
Haynes, Natalie. Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths. Harper, 2020.
Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Dangerous Beauty: Medusa in Classical Art.” 2018, www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2018/dangerous-beauty.
Proko. “Women of Myth with Karla Ortiz – Draftsmen S3E6.” YouTube, uploaded by Proko, 21 July 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ1K1rXl0qY.

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