''Oedipus and the Sphinx'' is a painting by the French Neoclassical artist

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres ( , ; 29 August 1780 – 14 January 1867) was a French Neoclassical painter. Ingres was profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to become the guardian of academic orthodoxy against the ...

. Originally a student work painted in 1808, it was enlarged and completed in 1827. The painting depicts Oedipus explaining the

riddle of the Sphinx A sphinx ( , grc, σφίγξ , Boeotian: , plural sphinxes or sphinges) is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of a falcon. In Greek tradition, the sphinx has the head of a woman, the haunches of ...

. An oil painting on canvas, it measures 189 x 144 cm, and is in the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

, which acquired it in 1878.

History

The painting was begun in Rome, where Ingres had arrived belatedly in 1806 after winning the ''Grand

Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...

'' in 1801. Working in a studio on the grounds of the

Villa Medici The Villa Medici () is a Mannerist villa and an architectural complex with a garden contiguous with the larger Borghese gardens, on the Pincian Hill next to Trinità dei Monti in Rome, Italy. The Villa Medici, founded by Ferdinando I de' Medici, ...

, Ingres continued his studies and, as required of every winner of the ''Prix'', he sent works at regular intervals to Paris so his progress could be judged. As his ''envoi'' of 1808 Ingres sent a life-size ''Figure of Oedipus'' and ''

The Valpinçon Bather ''The Valpinçon Bather'' (Fr: ''La Grande Baigneuse'') is an 1808 painting by the French Neoclassical artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780–1867), held in the Louvre since 1879. Painted while the artist was studying at the French Academy ...

'', hoping by these two paintings to demonstrate his mastery of the male and female nude.Condon et al. 1983, p. 38. The academicians were moderately critical of the treatment of light in both paintings, and considered the figures to be insufficiently idealized. Afterwards, Ingres retained the ''Figure of Oedipus'' in his studio for years. Around 1825 he decided to rework it to turn what was essentially a figure study into a more developed narrative scene.Radius 1968, p. 91. He enlarged the canvas, adding 20 cm to the left edge, 31 cm to the top, and 31 cm to the right. Within the expanded picture space he created a dramatic contrast between the brightly illuminated landscape seen in the distance, and the shadows that envelop the Sphinx. Ingres modified the pose of the Sphinx and added the human remains seen in the lower left corner. The fleeing man seen at the right, whose attitude and expression reveal Ingres's study of

Poussin Nicolas Poussin (, , ; June 1594 – 19 November 1665) was the leading painter of the classical French Baroque style, although he spent most of his working life in Rome. Most of his works were on religious and mythological subjects painted for ...

, was also added at this time. In November 1827 Ingres exhibited the finished work, along with two portraits, in the Salon, where they were well received. The painting is signed and dated 1808 at the lower left. Ingres sold ''Oedipus and the Sphinx'' in 1829, and it entered the Louvre in 1878. A small oil sketch of ca. 1826 in which Ingres tested his composition before reworking the painting is in the National Gallery, London. It was once owned by Edgar Degas, who purchased it in 1897 or earlier.Dumas & Degas 1996, p.71. In 1864 Ingres painted a third version of ''Oedipus and the Sphinx'', smaller than the first version, which reverses the composition and varies many details. It is in the

Walters Art Museum The Walters Art Museum, located in Mount Vernon-Belvedere, Baltimore, Maryland, United States, is a public art museum founded and opened in 1934. It holds collections established during the mid-19th century. The museum's collection was amassed ...

, Baltimore, Maryland.

Notes

References

*Condon, Patricia; Cohn, Marjorie B.; Mongan, Agnes (1983). ''In Pursuit of Perfection: The Art of J.-A.-D. Ingres''. Louisville: The J. B. Speed Art Museum. *Dumas, Ann, and Edgar Degas (1996). ''Degas as a Collector''. London: Apollo Magazine. *Mongan, Agnes; Naef, Dr. Hans (1967). ''Ingres Centennial Exhibition 1867-1967: Drawings, Watercolors, and Oil Sketches from American Collections''. Greenwich, Conn.: Distributed by New York Graphic Society. *Radius, Emilio (1968). ''L'opera completa di Ingres''. Milan: Rizzoli. *Tinterow, Gary; Conisbee, Philip; Naef, Hans (1999). ''Portraits by Ingres: Image of an Epoch''. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. {{Authority control 1808 paintings Paintings in the Louvre by French artists Paintings by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres Sphinxes Paintings depicting Greek myths