This marble sculpture, Perseus With the Head of Medusa, is a  replica of artist Antonio Canova's late 18th- early 19th-century work. While at The Metropolitan Museum of Art last summer, I came across this incredible depiction of a story I have always been very much fascinated by. Perseus, the tenacious Greek hero, can be seen here holding the wrathful Medusa's severed head, a feet attempted by many but successfully executed only by Perseus. I was struck by the sheer size of the statue (it's roughly 8 ft.) and the elegant yet audacious craftsmanship, both traits evident when taking Perseus' unforgiving stare at Medusa's head into account. This is, as far as my limited experience with art has been, the greatest and most profound art I have known.

(dates and artist name compliments of http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/120020491)