Perseus
Perseus is the legendary founder of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus and Bellerophon, the greatest Greek hero and slayer of monsters before the days of Heracles. He beheaded the Gorgon Medusa for Polydectes and saved Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus. He was the son of Zeus and the mortal Danaë, as well as the half-brother and great-grandfather of Heracles (as they were both children of Zeus, and Heracles' mother was descended from Perseus).
Perseus Stamp Collection
Italy 1950 Perseus, bronze sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini, 1545–54; in the Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence.
Italy 2000 Perseus, bronze sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini, 1545–54; in the Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence.
Mali 1973 Perseus, bronze sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini, 1545–54; in the Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence.
After Perseus had grown up on the island of Seriphus, where the chest had grounded, King Polydectes of Seriphus, who desired Danaë, tricked Perseus into promising to obtain the head of Medusa, the only mortal among the Gorgons.Aided by Hermes and Athena, Perseus pressed the Graiae, sisters of the Gorgons, into helping him by seizing the one eye and one tooth that the sisters shared and not returning them until they provided him with winged sandals (which enabled him to fly), the cap of Hades (which conferred invisibility), a curved sword, or sickle, to decapitate Medusa, and a bag in which to conceal the head. (According to another version, the Graiae merely directed him to the Stygian Nymphs, who told him where to find the Gorgons and gave him the bag, sandals, and helmet; Hermes gave him the sword.) Because the gaze of Medusa turned all who looked at her to stone, Perseus guided himself by her reflection in a shield given him by Athena and beheaded Medusa as she slept. He then returned to Seriphus and rescued his mother by turning Polydectes and his supporters to stone at the sight of Medusa’s head.
Paraguay 1977 Perseus liberating Andromeda. Rubens. 1633
São Tomé and Príncipe 1977 Perseus liberating Andromeda. Rubens. 1633
The painting Perseus Liberating Andromeda is a masterpiece by the famous Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens, depicting Greek mythology in a dramatic and exciting scene. The painting depicts the moment when Perseus, the Greek hero, rescues Andromeda from her fate of being sacrificed to a sea monster. Rubens manages to capture the tension and drama of the scene, with Perseus at the center of the work, holding his sword aloft as he gazes towards the horizon. Andromeda is at his feet, tied to a rock, a look of relief and gratitude on her face. The story behind the painting is also fascinating. It was commissioned in 1620 by King Philip IV of Spain to decorate his palace in Madrid. The painting was sent to Spain in 1622 and became one of the most famous works in the royal collection.
Paraguay 1977 Andromeda. Rubens. 1638
Liberia 1985 Andromeda. Rubens. 1638
Depicted in the artwork is the figure of Andromeda, a character from Greek mythology. She is shown with a sense of drama and emotion that is characteristic of the Baroque period. Her body is illuminated and positioned against a darker background, a common technique used by Rubens to draw attention to the subject. Andromeda’s pose is one of vulnerability and anticipation, with her arms chained above her head, which is a reference to her being sacrificed to a sea monster. Beside her, a red drapery adds a rich color contrast to her pale skin, while in the upper corner, a cherub-like figure can be seen with a pair of shackles, likely symbolizing her imminent rescue. The dynamic composition, the interplay of light and shadow, and the theatricality of the scene are all hallmarks of Rubens’s artistry and of the Baroque era in general.
Paraguay 1988 Perseus liberating Andromeda. Rubens. 1620.
Perseus, wearing helmet, cuirass, and cloak, is sided by two puttoes, and one of them is helping him in removing the ropes that tie Andromeda to the rock.
On the left, two puttoes are playing with Pegasus, Perseus’ winged horse.
Russia 1970 Perseus liberating Andromeda. Rubens. 1622.
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Perseus, in the centre of the painting, is surrounded by three putti, one holding the shield with Gorgon's reflection, one wearing the hero's helmet, while the third holds the winged horse Tobiano Pegasus. Above, Victory, the goddess of glory, is depicted in the act of placing a crown on the hero's head. Two other putti free Andromeda from the rock to which she is tied. Cetus, the sea monster defeated by the hero, is shown below.
Paraguay 1976 Perseus liberating Andromeda. Tiziano. 1555.
Bhutan 1989 Perseus liberating Andromeda. Tiziano. 1555.
The painting depicts the hero Perseus flying through the air to combat a sea monster, which was sent by Poseidon (or Zeus, depending on the account) to kill Andromeda, who is chained to a cliff by the sea as a sacrifice to the beast. Perseus has already attacked and wounded the monster on the shoulder.
Ajman 1971 Perseus liberating Andromeda. fresco from the House of the Dioscuri in Pompei
Fourth style fresco depicting Perseus freeing Andromeda from her chains on the rock, from the House of the Dioscuri in Pompeii, National Archaeological Museum, Naples.
Andromeda, chained helplessly on the rock, a prey to pacify a sea monster sent by Poseidon to punish Cassiopeia, Andromeda's mother, who had boasted of her daughter's beauty. Perseus comes face to face with the beautiful Andromeda, immediately falls in love with her and rushes off to kill the sea monster.
Cassiopeia was Queen of Aethiopia and wife of King Cepheus of Ethiopia. She was arrogant and vain, characteristics that led to her downfall.
Cassiopeia boasted that she (or her daughter Andromeda), was more beautiful than all the Nereids, the nymph-daughters of the sea god Nereus. This brought the wrath of Poseidon, ruling god of the sea, upon the kingdom of Aethiopia.
Accounts differ as to whether Poseidon decided to flood the whole country or direct the sea monster Cetus to destroy it. In either case, trying to save their kingdom, Cepheus and Cassiopeia consulted a wise oracle, who told them that the only way to appease the sea gods was to sacrifice their daughter.
Accordingly, Andromeda was chained to a rock at the sea's edge and left to be killed by the sea monster. Perseus arrived and instead killed Cetus, saved Andromeda and married her.
Cyprus 1989 Cassiopeia mother of Andromeda. Mosaic from Paphos House of Aion: Beauty contest between Cassiopeia and the nereids - Cassiopeia crowned by Krisis ( Allegory of judgment )
Hungary 1970 Andromeda . Francesco Furini - Budapest, Szépmüvészeti Múzeum. between 1630 and 1640
Greece 1959 Scene from Andromeda of Euripides . Andromeda with hands stretched out, bound to the rock, Hermes, Kepheus, Perseus, Aphrodite, Aithiopian girl, altar; inspired by the tragedy "Andromeda" of Euripides (412 BC)