A Substitution for Classicism: Gustave Moreau’s Oedipus and the Sphinx

By: Harper Paradowski

In Gustave Moreau’s, Oedipus and the Sphinx, he denies the archaic myth its natural

pictorial environment of classicist aesthetics, and instead imbues the tale with European forms.

As a student of David, this would be considered a reactionary piece to the plethora of

neoclassical paintings of the Davidian era. From the figurative style, to the saint-like depiction

of Oedipus, and the royal trappings which outfit the sphinx; Moreau repeatedly throughout the

piece chooses to substitute the greek and roman aesthetics of classicism with components

visually representative of several stylistic periods including compositional elements from Andrea

Mantegna, and anatomical decisions which parallel those of medieval figurative work. Confusing

intro: 1) you need to explain that this was a painting made in France in 1864; 2) you need to

explain that its subject is based on a Greek tragedy by Aeschylus; 3) then you can say that, rather

than depicting it in 5th century BC Greece, the artist used a number of sources from later eras and

civilizations; 4) finally you introduce what is your main point (why is discrepancy interesting to

you?)

The viewer may enter the pictorial plane through any one of the paintings beginnings,

however, they are most likely to start at the two figures occupying this space. Here, Oedipus is

painted by Moreau as a passive character, his body, limp and relaxed, resting upon the warm

rock formations which encompass him, with a thick saturated air. This complementary contrast

between the heavy, saturation of the rocks, and the slender, pale male form, intensifies the

physicality of Oedipus’ body lifting even more weight off the male figure’s shoulders.

Concurrently, this rendition of Oedipus bares an effeminate beauty, one not commonly seen in

neoclassicist works; and is very out of place in a greek myth highlighting a moment of

intellectual accomplishment, as well as the bravery and strength of man. Regardless of the dark

twisted path this encounter eventually leads Oedipus down. In a more neoclassicist style, Jean-

Formatted: Strikethrough, HighlightComment [1]: Bad writing

Comment [2]: You will need to explain what is classicist aesthetics and what you mean by European forms (isn’t classicism European too?)

Comment [3]: By whom: David? Other students? Art historians?

Comment [4]: Wrong commas

Comment [5]: G and R. Why would Roman style be more appropriate than, say, Renaissance?

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Comment [6]: This sentence makes no sense. Before saying this you should tell your reader what is depicted in the painting and what are the painting’s “beginnings”

Comment [7]: Wrong syntax

Comment [8]: unclear

Comment [9]: what do you mean: color saturation? Why would this contrast with the slender form? (are you talking about color or form?)

Comment [10]: we’ve actually seen a number of effeminate male figures from the neoclassical period + Moreau works more than half century after Neoclassicism. Yes he’s using a Greek tragedy but you should explain more explicitly why and how you intend to compare the work to Neoclassical art Formatted: Highlight

Comment [11]: convoluted writing

Comment [12]: unclear, explain

Auguste-Dominique Ingres’ depictions of this particular myth pose Oedipus in an active stance1,

one of contemplation and strength, the herculean pose2, displaying the idealization of the human

form, and the enlightenment of man, formal decisions more in tune with aesthetics and concepts

of classicism. Futhermore, many of the male figure’s traits connote some physical resemblance

to a Christ-like male. This double ontology, of Oedipus and the christian male figure, displays an

interesting cultural juxtaposition between the classical greek story of Oedipus and the sphinx and

the religious art of christianity, which I will come back to later in the essay.

A much clearer example of this cultural juxtaposition, is found at the crest of the sphinx’s

head. Here the sphinx is outfitted with the quintessential symbol of royalty, the crown. This

cameo of the monarchy’s position in french society, induces a thickening in the contentual

atmosphere of the artwork, alluding to some form of political commentary, to come. However,

whether being used to rejuvenate the archaic tale, or as a platform for political commentary, the

crown is undoubtedly an extreme delineation from the original myth, and is perhaps the most

notable diachronic juxtaposition within the painting. Continuing downward from the crown, the

sphinx’s face becomes the next point of discussion. Readily apparent is how the creature’s face is

painted with typical western European features, such as its blond hair, blue eyes, and pale

complexion. For an artist to be so free and imaginative with a history painting was a refreshing

sentiment, however, this painting was created at a time when history painting, and other

neoclassicist ideas, were on they’re way out, as the realist and naturalist movements began to

build up popularity.

1 See image at end of paper for visual aid. 2 Found in text. see The Journal of the Walters Art Gallery, Vol. 5, (1942), pp. 68-113

Comment [13]: you have not discussed Moreau’s style yet

Comment [14]: you need to explain why Oedipus would represent the enlightenment man

Comment [15]: classicism and neoclassicism are not the same thing

Comment [16]: we don’t know how Christ actually looked like, so we are talking about various ways he has been depicted by artists (very different depending on the period, place and artist). So you need to explain which specific iconography of Christ is adopted by Moreau and what in his Oedipus looks like Christ Formatted: Highlight

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Comment [17]: rather than? You need to explain how Sphinx figures had been represented before

Comment [18]: = they are

It is an interesting decision for Moreau to use such an archaic platform, such as that of

greek myth, to embellish and distort with these 19th century french motifs. However, this

painting may not be as formally unique as the cultural juxtapositions present contentually.

Several key compositional decisions can be diachronically explained. For instance, the low

vantage point, which can be found in many Andrea Mantegna paintings, an italian painter of the

15th and 16th centuries. During Mantegna’s time there was a large amount of experimentation

with the vantage point’s role in scale; however, it was not a crucial point of experimentation

during the neoclassical period. By moving the vantage point to the lower third of the pictorial

plane, the figure is forced upward giving it a monumental scale within the space. Additionally, it

is argued that Moreau makes use of certain anatomical decisions, employed by Mantegna, such

as the crinkling of the finger and toes3. Moreau’s formal likeliness to this late italian painter may

be explained by his thorough studying of the stylistic period at the Louvre4. In addition, to the

formal similarities between Moreau’s figurative decisions and Mantegna’s, amongst other italian

renaissance painters, for me there is more formal likeness in the male figure’s anatomy to that of

early medieval art.

In an alternative method to Mantegna’s highly sculpted grounded figures, the nude

rendition of Oedipus in Moreau’s painting is flat, gaunt, and blockish. A figure which frequently

appears in the dark religious art of the medieval ages; often Jesus is portrayed in a similar

deprived physicality. Concurrently, the passive pose of Oedipus takes on a similar physical and

emotive weightlessness to that of christ as he is depicted in some early orthodox illustrations, 3 Contains block quote from primary source giving this review.<-- ??? see The Burlington Magazine, Vol. 146, No. 1218 (Sep., 2004), pp. 610 4 Found in the Met’s abstract of the work and its influence, "Gustave Moreau: Oedipus and the Sphinx" (21.134.1) In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/21.134.1. (December 2008)

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Comment [19]: this word does not exist

Comment [20]: wrong word

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Comment [21]: like what? It doesn’t look early medieval at all to me

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hanging off the cross5. This weightlessness can possibly be attributed to the physical contrast in

density between the figure and the blocky geological forms which surround it. Creating a similar

weightlessness to that of jesus as he hangs off the cross. However, in Moreau’s painting the

figure hangs from the rocks in an odd tranquillity, in contrast with the suffering weightlessness

put upon christ in depictions of him post crucifixion. A final similarity between Moreau’s

Oedipus and early depictions of Christ, are their facial expressions. Both wear relatively

inexpressive demeanors, with undertones of melancholy. From these expressions i get a sense of

detachment, especially in context with the severity of the situations both of the men find

themselves in, within their own stories. Oedipus should be terrified or at least startled by the

monster clinging to his chest, just as christ should be imbued with sorrow and pain as he hangs

from the cross to atone for the sins of the many. Now after having traced, mapped, and analyzed

the numerous ways christianity is woven into the myth I can appreciate the complexity of the

painting’s contentual side.

In conclusion, Moreau has pulled the myth so far out of its greek origins, so that it may

be tinkered with. Using the myth only as an outline to be filled in and contextualized by the

iconic 19th century motifs found throughout the artwork. Motifs, which shine through the

Davidian aesthetics he has recycled to make commentary on his master’s use of the historical

painting as a genre, and launch his own refreshing application of the historical painting forth.

The intricate weaving of the various contextual bodies present within the work forms a strong

cohesive identity for the painting both contentually as well as compositionally. From the striking

sense of perspective, to the beautiful form of the effeminate Oedipus, Moreau has done an

5See image at end of paper for visual aid. Unknown artist. Crucifixion of Our Lord Christ. Unknown completion date (russian medieval age). Web. 1st October 2015

Comment [22]: ok, but this is not early medieval

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Comment [23]: but Oedipus is looking into the eyes of the sphinx

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Comment [24]: you have compared his pose to that of Christ, which is one of the most-often depicted figures in the history of European painting and it was normal for an artist to take it as a model to depict human anatomy. Are you sure that this interpretation of Oedipus was perceived as interwoven with Christian tones? Your point would be stronger if you could demonstrate that Moreau himself or the original viewers during Moreau’s time saw this as a Christ-like figure Formatted: Highlight

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Comment [25]: like what, you have not discussed them

Comment [26]: like what? You have not mentioned David before this

Comment [27]: David was not Moreau’s teacher, so you need to explain in what way you are calling him Moreau’s master

Comment [28]: unclear

exceptional job at using the myth of Oedipus as a platform to create a new vocabulary of

aesthetics, and set a new trend in the contextual structure of history painting.

.

You have some good ideas but you need to put them together into a coherent

argument. Explain things as simply as possible following a linear and consequential logic: 1)

explain what Moreau represents and how; 2) compare him to more traditional interpretations of

the same subject (for example Ingres); 3) conclude that he uses a Greek myth like neoclassical

painters but he introduced new elements taken from Mantegna and Byzantine tradition; 4)

explain why this is relevant: what did he want to emphasize? What did a Greek myth mean to

him and to the 1860s public as opposed to Ingres and his public half century earlier.

Many spelling and syntax mistakes (mostly signs of carelessness).

Grade: 8/15

Comment [29]: compared to what?

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Works Cited Page

1. Peter Cooke. “Gustave Moreau's 'œdipus and the Sphinx': Archaism, Temptation

and the Nude at the Salon of 1864” The Burlington Magazine, Vol. 146, No. 1218

(Sep., 2004): pp. 609-615. Print.

2. Laura Morowitz. Rev. of Oedipus and the Sphinx, by Gustave Moreau. The Art

Bulletin, Vol. 82, No. 2 (Jun., 2000): pp. 369-371. Print.

3. "Gustave Moreau: Oedipus and the Sphinx" (21.134.1) In Heilbrunn Timeline of

Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/21.134.1. (December 2008)

Moreau, Gustave. Oedipus and the Sphinx. 1864. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New

York. Web. 20th September 2015.

Ingre, Jean-Auguste-Dominique. Oedipus and the Sphinx. 1808. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Web. 1st October 2015

Mantegna, Andrea. Saint Sebastian. 1480. Musee de Lourve, Paris. Web. 1st October

2015.

Unknown artist. Crucifixion of Our Lord Christ. Unknown completion date (russian

medieval age). Web. 1st October 2015