Perseus and Andromeda
by VASARI, Giorgio, Oil on slate, 117 x 100 cm
Vasari’s contributions to the decoration of the Studiolo in the Palazzo Vecchio included the Perseus and Andromeda.
The legend states that when Perseus held up the head of Medusa and plunged his sword into the dragon that was about to attack Andromeda, the dragon turned to stone and its blood, streaming through the water, turned to coral. In the background, stylised promontories sparkle with classical buildings, and on the beach workmen draw the dragon onto land with a huge winch.