Once Pure : MEDUSA

Once there was a priestess, pure, and true. Thousands of men would come to Athena's temple to look at the beauty of Medusa. They described her hair as even more beautiful than Athena's.

One day walking by the shore, she was approached by Poseidon. He wanted her and her beauty but she refused many times. The god grew sick of being rejected and decided he would then have her by force. She ran into the temple, expecting Athena to protect her, but nobody came.

Later, Athena returned and saw what happened. She cursed Medusa so that her hair would become like unto snakes and that anybody who would look at her would turn into stone.

I usually love villains because I know that they are the way they are because there is something deeper than evil. I wanted this artwork to show the hurt, betrayal, and horror that she went through. This moment in time is when she would think back to her beautiful hair and who she once used to be: pure.