Perseus as Alter Ego of Ferdinand I

Abstract

The paper analyses three relief sculptures that decorate spandrels of the northern façade of the Prague Bel‑ vedere, which was built by Ferdinand I between 1538 and ca. 1550. Their uniqueness consists in that it is the first series inspired by the myth of Perseus in Renaissance architectural sculpture. We find here, from left to right: Perseus freeing Andromeda, Perseus turning Atlas into a rock by showing him the head of Medusa, and Pegasus creating a source of poetical inspiration. The monogram, FA (Ferdinand I and Anna, his wife) is the only inscription on this villa and it has a crucial role in the villa decoration. We may consider Perseus as alter ego of Ferdinand I

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