This work by Nelly Arcan is among the most radical ultra-contemporary rewrites of the myth of Medusa. The narrative, which focuses entirely on the theme of the gaze, points to its ambiguity –both terrifying and attractive- as well as its multiformity, by simultaneously proposing a dual and inverse interpretation of the myth. However, the autofictional nature of A ciel ouvert also makes it a ruthless criticism of the burden borne by today’s women with regard to their physical attractiveness. So much so that, feeling more and more observed and photographed, some women end up hiding under a cloak of sophisticated and painful treatments, a sort of “Burqa of flesh”, in an attempt to build a customized and unalterable body. Our article will show this dual dimension of the novel embodied in the theme of the gaze, by analysing the scopic function that is developed in the story through the professional relationships of the three characters, whose professions demand a proactive involvement of the gaze.