PETER BELL: This is a sculpture about movement. Perseus's weight rests on his left leg, and he also moves in that same direction. So there's a sweep of motion that's highlighted by the drapery as it falls off of his shoulder.

ALICE SCHWARZ: The swag of the fabric that extends behind his body almost shows the movement of that arm that has just been raised. You almost get a sense that the arm has just come up to show off, like a trophy, the head that dangles from his hand.

NARRATOR: At first glance, you might think this sculpture shows the grisly moment after the mythical hero Perseus has beheaded Medusa, but look more closely.

ALICE SCHWARZ: The moment that's been captured should be incredibly dramatic. That he has just severed the head of perhaps the most evil thing that he has encountered.

PETER BELL: His right hand holding the sword is not in action. His stance suggests this story. It's a presentational pose. It's a sculpture about motion, but it's not the motion of killing. This could be the moment that Perseus presents the head of Medusa as a votive offering to Athena, rather than the moment in which Perseus slays the monster.