Artwork
A Sphinx, The Embankment, London
A Sphinx, The Embankment, London is a photographic photography by Alvin Langdon Coburn. It dates from 1910 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. A black and white photograph captures a sphinx statue on a staircase along the Embankment in London.
About this work
Overview
A black and white photograph captures a sphinx statue on a staircase along the Embankment in London.
Subject & Meaning
The sphinx, with a human head and lion's body, is depicted facing left, its grandeur emphasized by a low-angle view. The statue is set against a backdrop of trees and a building, with a railing in front.
Technique & Style
Strong contrasts between light and dark create a sense of volume, drawing attention to the statue's imposing presence.
History & Provenance
The photograph was taken by Alvin Langdon Coburn in 1910.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alvin Langdon Coburn kept a tiny camera in every coat pocket, snapping odd angles of London’s streets while pretending to window-shop.
The British Lion
London: A Sphinx
On the Embankment
Bust of Dionysus, Platon
'Stele with Buddhist triad', China, 581-618 or later, 'Bodhisattva', Japan, 'Bowl', (origins unknown), 'Figure of Avalokiteshvara', Japanese, after statue in Horyuji Temple, early 20th century, 'Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Kannon)', Japan, late 8th century, from the Charles Lang Freer Collection
After Meryon - Le Stryge
'Jar', Raqqa, Syria, 11th-12th century, 'Head and Bust (fragment) of a man', Egypt, ca. 1980-1630 BCE, face later recarved, from the Charles Lang Freer Collection
'Figure of Anubis', Egypt, 664-525 BCE, 'Resting', ca 1870-1873 by James McNeil Whistler and 'Figurine of the Goddess Neith', 664-525 BCE or later, from the Charles Lang Freer Collection
