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GUSTAVE MOREAU. Oedipus and the Sphinx

Oedipus and the Sphinx. Artist: Gustave Moreau (French, Paris 1826-1898 Paris). Dimensions: 81 1/4 x 41 1/4 in. (206.4 x 104.8 cm). Date: 1864. The legendary Greek prince Oedipus confronts the malevolent Sphinx, who torments travelers with a riddle: What creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening? Remains of victims who answered incorrectly litter the foreground. (The solution is the human, who crawls as a baby, strides upright in maturity, and uses a cane in old age.) Moreau made his mark with this painting at the Salon of 1864. Despite the growing prominence of depictions of everyday life, he portrayed stories from the Bible, mythology, and his imagination. His otherworldly imagery inspired many younger artists and writers, including Odilon Redon and Oscar Wilde.
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Author:
GUSTAVE MOREAU (1826-1898)
Title:
Oedipus and the Sphinx
Caption:
Oedipus and the Sphinx. Artist: Gustave Moreau (French, Paris 1826-1898 Paris). Dimensions: 81 1/4 x 41 1/4 in. (206.4 x 104.8 cm). Date: 1864. The legendary Greek prince Oedipus confronts the malevolent Sphinx, who torments travelers with a riddle: What creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening? Remains of victims who answered incorrectly litter the foreground. (The solution is the human, who crawls as a baby, strides upright in maturity, and uses a cane in old age.) Moreau made his mark with this painting at the Salon of 1864. Despite the growing prominence of depictions of everyday life, he portrayed stories from the Bible, mythology, and his imagination. His otherworldly imagery inspired many younger artists and writers, including Odilon Redon and Oscar Wilde.
Technique/material:
OIL ON CANVAS
Museum:
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
Credit:
Album / Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
Releases:
Model: No - Property: No
Rights questions?
Image size:
2274 x 4466 px | 29.1 MB
Print size:
19.3 x 37.8 cm | 7.6 x 14.9 in (300 dpi)
Keywords:
CANVAS • EUROPE • EUROPEAN PAINTINGS • FRANCE • GUSTAVE MOREAU • METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK, USA • OIL ON CANVAS • OIL PAINTING • OIL PAINTINGC PIO DI SAVOIA • OLI PAINTING • PAINTINGS