Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what use is that when you cannot see?

I thought this image was stunning and modern representation of the Gorgon, Medusa -"Guardian Protectress-.  Personally, I adore this woman/creature partially due to my love of serpents but I think the various myths are fascinating.  

Medusa and her two sisters Stheno and Eurydale (the three gorgons) were children of ancient marine deities Phorcys and his sister Ceto. They were generally dipicted by early arists as foul creatures where as later sculptors started to envision her as beautiful as well as terrifying. 

In a later form of Medusa's myth she was originally a beautiful maiden and a priestess in Athena's temple but when she lay with Poseidon on the temple floor, the enraged virgin Goddess turned her hair into serpents and made her face so whomever gazed upon it was turned to stone.  In most versions of the story her death is dealt  by Perseus, (killing her while she is pregnant with Poseidon's child) to retrieve her head as a gift for King Polydectes of Seriphus.  Persues received aid from Hermes and Athena in this task with various gifts including Hades Invisibility Cap, winged shoes, a sword and most importantly a mirrored shield so he would not stare directly into her face.

Near them their sisters three, the Gorgons, winged
With snakes for hair— hated of mortal man—