"Andromeda Chained to a Rock" by Henry-Pierre Picou 1874 The oil painting initially looks baroque because of the strong diagonal (from the top right corner to the the bottom left) and it depicts the pinnical of the narrative: it is the moment right when Perseus takes out Medusa's head to turn the monster into stone before it consumes Andromeda. However, this work was made long after the period. And it was decades after the end of Neoclassicism. Picou was an academic artist and he painted mostly mythology paintings and here he is using a baroque style to increase dramatism. There is so much movement in the waves, the gaping jaws of the monster, the wind in her hair and his clothes and helmet plume. There is a very theatrical energy present here.
In Ovid's account, Perseus defeats the monster with his curved sword rather than Medusa's head that is depicted here. We can see the chain mentioned in the translated passage on this website that keeps her anchored to the rock and her beautiful flowing hair. Notice how unnecessary that arm position is. The chain that holds her left arm is loosely resting on the top of the rock and the shackle is only on one arm so she doesn't need to hold both arms up in this position. Her arms must be losing blood from gravity by now. In addition, considering how cold the water must be, the position is not realistic at all, but the strong diagonal her body creates, and they vulnerable position she is in causes the audience to feel pity for the poor princess who is about to be devoured. Also the fact that she has no pubic hair even though they didn't have the technology to remove it so cleanly in this time period even for a princess helps us understand why Perseus believed her to be a marble statue. It also reflects the artists's and his time period's anti-body hair culture. More resources: http://www.daheshmuseum.org/portfolio/henry-louis-picouandromeda-chained-to-a-rock/#.WQGcdYnyvVq
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