Medea's tale has prompted artists to explore the following questions: did she kill her children in an impassioned fit of rage, or did she murder in cold blood? Should we regard her as an evil monstrosity? Or should she be humanised, as a wronged woman driven to madness? She is the ultimate embodiment of female vengeance and an archetype of the femme fatale. However the ambivalent responses to Sandys' painting reflect the historic divisiveness of the character of Medea – a woman so enraged by her deceitful husband that she commits the unthinkable. Although agreed to be of quality, the painting was ultimately rejected, sparking controversy.Īfter its acceptance the following year, one critic writing for Art Journal claimed 'either by its merits or its defects, certainly stands alone.' He predicted that Medea would be 'either vastly admired or supremely detested.'Īmbiguity remains as to whether Sandys' rejection was due to internal politics, or because his subject matter – a sorceress known for killing her own children – was deemed to be deplorable to members of the Academy. Frederick Sandys (1829–1904) Birmingham Museums TrustĪn artist affiliated with the Pre-Raphaelites, Sandys submitted his work to the Royal Academy for display in the Summer Exhibition of the same year.
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