Faux pedestal for Medusa sculpture – Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco

Pedestal for Bernini’s Medusa: Legion of Honor Museum

For the first time in the US Bernini’s ‘Medusa’ comes to SF. It was on view at the Legion of Honor late 2011- Feb. 19th, 2012, it is a remarkable Baroque masterpiece and one part of the rarely traveled “Dream of Rome” project.

This remarkable marble sculpture is carved out of one block of marble chosen for its particular bronze-tinted color that creates a close rendition of human flesh.

Peta Sanderson and co-artist Bac Hoang created the Pedestal on which the sculpture is displayed. The Venetian Rose main body was executed by Peta Sanderson and the top and foot, Blanco by Bac Hoang.

Being contracted by the De Young Museum to produce this finish was a great honour. It’s exactly the kind of project most Faux Finishers dream of and to be part of it’s creation was wonderful. Mr Bill White of The De Young worked with me as we developed a series of samples for the project. The Venetian Rose and Blanco were ultimately chosen.

I layered texture and drift, sinking all under many coats of varnish. The Venetian Rose was the more complex of the two and the palette Peta finally used was a diverse and rich one. The Blanco, even though seemingly Black, grey and white, surprised both of us in it’s range of hue.