Oedipus and the Sphinx

The artwork Oedipus and the Sphinx is a painting, created in 1826. It is currently held at the National Gallery. The painting, measuring 0.137 meters in width and 0.175 meters in height, is the work of an unknown artist.

The painting depicts a muscular, nude man, presumably Oedipus, standing on a rocky outcrop. He is turned towards a winged sphinx partially hidden in a cave-like opening. Oedipus holds his spear in his left hand and gestures with his right hand as if in conversation with the sphinx. A yellow cloth is draped over his left shoulder and falls onto the ground beside him. At his feet lie a skull and bone. In the background, a fire rages, possibly representing the city of Thebes, which Oedipus will save from the sphinx's riddle. The scene is painted with dramatic lighting and a sense of tension, reflecting the gravity of the encounter between Oedipus and the Sphinx.