Jupiter and the Sphinx
1868
Medium
Tinted plaster
Dimensions
Overall (confirmed): 46 × 44 1/8 × 23 3/4 in. (116.8 × 112.1 × 60.3 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture
French, Paris
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Lita Annenberg Hazen Charitable Trust Gift, in honor of Ambassador Walter H. Annenberg, 1981
Accession Number
1981.319.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Auguste Préault's *Jupiter and the Sphinx (1868) is a striking tinted plaster sculpture that captures the dramatic clash of classical mythology in a compact, dynamic form. Measuring nearly four feet tall, this French work from Paris embodies the Romantic spirit of Préault, a sculptor renowned for his expressive, emotionally charged figures. Here, the mighty Roman god Jupiter confronts the enigmatic Sphinx, evoking timeless themes of power, intellect, and mystery drawn from ancient Greek lore—where the Sphinx posed riddles before being vanquished. Crafted in tinted plaster, a medium Préault fa...