Gustave Moreau reinvents the Oedipus myth here with disturbing sensuality and rich symbolism. The sphinx, a hybrid creature both feline and feminine, entwines around the hero in an embrace at once seductive and deadly.
The treatment of bodies, of idealized beauty, reveals the influence of the Italian Renaissance, while the precious details and palette of deep hues evoke Flemish primitives. The twilight atmosphere, enhanced by vertiginous cliffs and stormy sky, creates a mysterious, dreamlike setting. The macabre debris in the foreground, treated with archaeological meticulousness, reminds us of the price of failure when facing the enigma. The vertical composition and dramatic tension between the two protagonists masterfully convey the confrontation between human intelligence and divine mystery.
This imagery influenced numerous artists and writers, including Odilon Redon and Oscar Wilde.
Additional Information
- Oedipus and the Sphinx by Gustave Moreau, 1864
- 206.4 × 104.8 cm
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fifth Avenue, New York, Gallery 800
- https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437153
Gustave Moreau (1826-1898) is one of the most singular figures in 19th-century French painting. An erudite and visionary artist, he developed a unique style that transcended the movements of his era. His work, nourished by mythological and esoteric references, is characterized by sophisticated pictorial technique and boundless imagination.
A revered master at the École des Beaux-Arts, he profoundly influenced the Symbolist movement and paved the way for Surrealist explorations of the following century. His studio-museum, preserved intact in Paris, still testifies today to the extraordinary universe of this exceptional artist.
