Mad Meg

I am quite taken with this piece of art. It is actually a lit stained glass piece by the artist Judith Schaechter. I also saw this at the New Britain Museum of American Art this past Sunday.

( Closer detail )

The story behind this work is quite fantastic as well. According to the NBMAA blog:

“Mad Meg is the anglicized version of "Dulle Griet,” a figure of Flemish folklore from the 15th century. Legend tells that Mad Meg was a peasant woman who led an army of housewives to pillage hell. Dressed in aprons and armed with swords, Mad Meg and her army battled devils and returned victorious with baskets full of golden cups. In Schaechter’s version, we see Meg posed dramatically atop a pedestal comprised of sinister organisms and jewel-like flowers. It is unclear whether she is emerging from the underworld victorious, or about to descend into madness.“