Oedipus and the Sphinx – Gustave Moreau

<p>Painted in 1864, <em>Oedipus and the Sphinx</em> is one of the most powerful and symbolically charged masterpieces of 19th-century French painting. Gustave Moreau depicts the mythological encounter between Oedipus and the winged Sphinx — a creature that has terrorised Thebes for years. The Sphinx clings to the hero's body, staring into his eyes with cold, inhuman intensity. Oedipus meets her gaze without flinching. The painting is a meditation on human reason triumphing over darkness, mystery and fate. Rich in jewel-like colour and meticulous detail, it established Moreau as the master of Symbolism and caused a sensation at the Paris Salon of 1864.</p>