The Sphinx and the Chimera

Odilon Redon, 1889

This is a drawing of a sphinx and a chimera. The drawing depicts two mythical creatures against a textured background. On the left side, the sphinx is presented in a traditional manner, with a human face and shoulders adorned with a headdress, connecting to the body of a lion. On the right, the chimera is depicted as a dark figure with a lion's head, a goat's head emerging from its back, and a serpent's tail. The detailed rendering of the creatures contrasts with the artist's more abstract background, which is filled with lines and shading. The overall composition conveys an encounter between the ancient mythological beings.

Artist: Odilon Redon
Date: 1889
Type: Print
Medium: lithograph
Collection: National Gallery of Art, Washington
Licence: Public domain, CC0

Image description

This is a drawing of a sphinx and a chimera. The drawing depicts two mythical creatures against a textured background. On the left side, the sphinx is presented in a traditional manner, with a human face and shoulders adorned with a headdress, connecting to the body of a lion. On the right, the chimera is depicted as a dark figure with a lion's head, a goat's head emerging from its back, and a serpent's tail. The detailed rendering of the creatures contrasts with the artist's more abstract background, which is filled with lines and shading. The overall composition conveys an encounter between the ancient mythological beings.

Odilon Redon