The works of Gustave Moreau, a French artist, were closely associated with symbolism. But the nature of his work was different. The main principle of the artist was the principle of “excellent inertia”, when the characters were depicted in a state of immersion and thought in themselves. Due to this, the viewer should better feel the inner state of mind of the characters in the picture. The artist created several canvases depicting the Sphinx. One of these paintings is the painting “Oedipus and the Sphinx”, painted in 1888. The exact title of the work is “Oedipal wanderer, or Equality Before Death”.
The picture is based on the ancient Greek myth of Oedipus, who on his way to Thebes meets the Sphinx. Moreau depicts the Sphinx as a winged monster, with the head of a beautiful maiden. The Sphinx asks all travelers one riddle: “Who walks on four legs in the morning, on two in the afternoon and on three in the evening?”, To which no one can give a true answer. And for this the Sphinx devoured them. And Oedipus guessed that these are three ages of a person – infancy, maturity and old age.
In this picture, Oedipus is not a brave hero. Both the Sphinx and Oedipus anticipate their death, before which they are both equal. The rocky grotto is a symbol of the womb. The idea of the artist was in where the person comes from, there is his death. Jocasta, the mother of Oedipus, by coincidence, becoming the wife of Oedipus, caused his death. So this story scared the generation of Nietzsche that a woman who gave life can easily take it away.
In the center of the picture is the sphinx spread out its wings. Next to him are defeated victims who did not answer his question. Their faces are not traced in detail. Oedipus, located on the left side of the picture, with a weary gait, leaning on a staff, enters the grotto. His head is lowered from powerlessness, he knows that his life will soon end. Looking at the picture, you can see the sky darkening in the evening twilight. Already started the night hunting bats. Sphinx looks at the traveler who arrived, proudly sitting on his bed. Its wings are beautiful and snow-white.
The artist highlights the main characters with light, ocher and yellow shades against a dark, cold background. The vertical format of the picture emphasizes the greatness of the Sphinx. The work is tragic and mysterious. The picture makes you think about life and death.
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