Which bronze sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini shows Perseus holding Medusa’s severed head?

Benvenuto Cellini’s bronze sculpture Perseus with the Head of Medusa shows the Greek hero holding Medusa’s severed head.

Cellini created the work from 1545 to 1554 for the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. It was commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici and was intended to demonstrate both the power of the Medici dynasty and Cellini’s mastery of bronze casting.

Perseus stands over Medusa’s body with her head raised in his left hand. The polished bronze surface, elaborate details, and daring casting process made the statue a celebrated achievement of Italian Mannerism. Cellini later described its production in his autobiography.

The sculpture remains in the Loggia dei Lanzi, an open-air gallery beside Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio. A famous detail is the small self-portrait traditionally identified on the back of Perseus’s helmeted head.