Artwork
London: A Sphinx
London: A Sphinx 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 shows a stone sphinx sculpture on a set of steps, captured in 1910.
About this work
The photo was taken in 1910, and the sphinx looks like one of the ancient Egyptian statues.
This black-and-white photo shows a stone sphinx sitting on a set of wide steps. Behind it, a bare tree and some distant buildings appear faintly. The sphinx has a human head with a calm expression, wearing what looks like a crown.
The photo was taken in 1910, and the sphinx looks like one of the ancient Egyptian statues. The lighting is dramatic, with strong shadows on the steps and the sphinx’s face.
Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see this photo in person.
Overview
A black-and-white photograph shows a stone sphinx sculpture on a set of steps, captured in 1910.
Subject & Meaning
The sphinx, with a human head and calm expression, is adorned with a crown-like structure, evoking ancient Egyptian statuary.
Technique & Style
Dramatic lighting accentuates the scene, casting strong shadows on the steps and the sphinx's face, adding depth to the image.
Context
The photograph is set against a backdrop of a bare tree and distant buildings, subtly suggesting an urban or landscaped environment.
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
On the Embankment
A Sphinx, The Embankment, London
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
