Drawings for a "Sphinx" and "Victoria"
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.These drawings relate to two different subjects. Khnopff combined them in a specially designed frame to create a new composition. The drawings on the left are variations on a Sphinx, a mythological hybrid of animals with a woman’s head, usually associated with mystery, danger, and temptation. On the right, Khnopff depicted the goddess Victoria, whom he understood as a symbol of transcendence. Together, the images suggest stages of a quest for spiritual enlightenment. Delicate shading and white highlights make it appear that the figures are emerging from darkness.
Artwork Details
- Title: Drawings for a "Sphinx" and "Victoria"
- Artist: Fernand Khnopff (Belgian, Grembergen 1858–1921 Brussels)
- Date: 1889–92
- Medium: Compressed charcoal and white pencil on gray-blue paper
- Dimensions: a: 7 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. (19 x 9 cm); b: 7 7/8 x 4 7/8 in. (20 x 12.5 cm); c: 3 3/4 x 4 3/8 in. (9.5 x 11 cm); d: 10 1/4 x 4 1/8 in. (26 x 10.5 cm); e (frame): 35 1/16 × 42 5/16 in. (89 × 107.5 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: The Hearn Family Foundation
- Object Number: L.2023.26a–e
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings