In Classical Mythology Perseus and Andromeda’s wedding feast has been violently interrupted by Phineas, to whom Andromeda was formerly betrothed. Luca Giordano has illustrated the dramatic moment when Phineas and his followers attack Perseus. Heavily outnumbered, Perseus has unveiled the severed head of the gorgon Medusa, who he had recently defeated. He averts his eyes, because all those who look on Medusa immediately turn to stone. His attackers have had no time to react, and Giordano has vividly portrayed their flesh turning from pink to stone grey. Phineas is most likely the figure at the far left wearing the elaborate helmet and breastplate. His head and left side have already turned to stone and his mouth is frozen in a petrified scream, but his right arm and right leg are still pink with life. His two companions are suffering a similar transformation. The poses of Phineas and the figure in front of him are based on famous antique sculptures, a fact which would not have been lost on Giordano’s contemporaries, thus recognizing his training on classical models. Early 1680s, oil on canvas, The National Gallery, London.
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