Christiane Frenay Signed and Numbered Etching on Zinc - titled Muse Medusée - No. 48 / 75

Fine Art : Etching : Etching On Zinc : Christiane Frenay : Medusa

 

I saw you once, Medusa; we were alone. I looked you straight in the cold eye, cold. I was not punished, was not turned to stone— How to believe the legends I am told?

Medusa is that fear of overwhelming chaos when you are convinced you're about to drop dead from the weight of life. She's your greatest fear, your most painful defeat, crashing into your life and making you fall. But you do not drop dead, you do not fall—despite the grief or rage you find a way. You look Medusa square in the eye and she blinks. That's the secret of Medusa. Lock eyes with her. When she blinks, you are free. Medusa, originally a beautiful young woman whose crowning glory was her magnificent long hair, was desired and courted by many suitors. Yet before she could be betrothed to a husband, Poseidon (Neptune) found her worshipping in the temple of Athena (Minerva) and ravished her. Athena was outraged at her sacred temple being violated, and punished Medusa by turning her beautiful tresses into snakes and giving her the destructive power to turn anyone who looked directly at her into stone. Medusa had become a common theme in art by the nineteenth century. In this etching, her powerful gaze pulls you to the subject and holds you captivated. This is an intense, wonderful work of art.

The image measures 6 1/2" x 4 1/2" unframed and 18 1/4" x 15 3/4" framed. This is a sold out edition and is numbered 48 / 75.

Born in Villeneuve de la Raho, France, Christiane Frenay is an artist of Catalan descent, whose father, Jean Malé, was a famous artist as well (1914-1991). After graduating from the École des Beaux Arts et des Arts Appliqués de Toulouse (France), Christiane Frenay-Malé moved to Tunisia, where she lived and work for almost a decade. Then, in 1970, Frenay-Malé established her permanent residence in Canada but continued to observe and investigate the diverse roots and rituals of various cultures, always relating them to the basic question of existence. Since 1965, Frenay’s work has been exhibited in galleries, museums and is among many private collections in Belgium, Canada, France, Japan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, and United States.

Item ID: ME-2561