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Sphinx of Agost

The Sphinx of Agost reflects the posture typical of archaic Attic sculpture, with the head facing forward, the body in profile, and the human face predominating over the feline body. Its close relationship to another sphinx found in Piraeus and preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens supports a date between 570 and 545 BC, and its classification by G.M.A. Righter. At the same time, several features point to its Iberian roots: it was probably attached to a wall rather than freestanding, and its tail passes between the hindquarters like that of a lion. The sculpture is exhibited in the National Archaeological Museum of Spain in Madrid.

Sphinx of Agost stone sculpture with a human head, wings, and an animal body on a base.
The Sphinx of Agost, a limestone Iberian sculpture, shown with its human head, wings, and animal body.
October 2009 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Stone Sphinx of Agost sculpture with a human-like head and animal body on a white plinth.
The Sphinx of Agost, a light-colored stone sculpture shown on a white plinth.
0525 © Martínez Levas, Ángel (photo) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Detail of the Sphinx of Agost showing the eroded human-like head and winged upper body in limestone.
Detail of the Sphinx of Agost, an Iberian limestone sculpture, showing its weathered head and wing.
October 2009 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sphinx of Agost sculpture with a human head and reclining animal body on a white stand.
The Sphinx of Agost displayed on a white multi-tiered stand against a dark background.
0525 © Martínez Levas, Ángel (photo) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Weathered stone Sphinx of Agost sculpture with missing head and one foreleg, shown on a museum stand.
The Sphinx of Agost, a weathered limestone sculpture with its head and one foreleg missing, displayed on a museum stand.
October 2009 © · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleSphinx of Agost
TypeSphinx sculpture
Original titleLe Sphinx d'Agost

Historical context

CultureIberian
PeriodIberian period
StyleAttic Archaic sculptural style with Greek influence
Datec. 570–545 BC

Creator

AuthorUnknown

Discovery and provenance

Associated objectA bull
Post-discovery history of associated bullIts trace was lost shortly after the 1893 discovery
Proposed provenanceProbably from an Iberian tomb
Associated objectAnother sphinx preserved in the Louvre Museum, Paris
Discovery contextFound together with another sphinx and a bull
Discovery date1893
FindspotCamp de l'Escultor archaeological site, on the edge of Agost, Alicante, Spain

Physical characteristics

Height82 cm
ConditionBadly damaged
PoseHead facing forward, body in profile, with the human head predominating over the feline body
Tail formTail passes between the hind legs
Depicted subjectA sphinx with the head of a woman, body of a winged lion, and a serpent's tail

Materials

MaterialLimestone

Technique

MountingProbably fixed to a wall

Appearance

Comparative formUnlike Greek sphinxes, which were free-standing, this one was attached to a wall
Comparative tail formUnlike Greek examples, whose tail curls over and rests on the thigh, this sphinx's tail passes between the hind legs

Iconography and meaning

FunctionA funerary sphinx intended to guard and defend the dead and possibly carry the soul to the afterlife
Stylistic interpretationShows an indigenous artist influenced by Greek beliefs about the world of the dead; the artist probably had not seen the model directly

Significance

Sphinx backgroundSphinxes are known from the Bronze Age in Mesopotamia and Egypt, with Egypt as the probable remote origin; in Egypt, male sphinxes acted as guardians of the dead, and a female sphinx appears in the Fourth Dynasty representing Queen Hetepheres II
Comparative developmentEastern and Greek sphinx traditions later developed independently; in Greek art the human aspect became more important and the most common posture became seated

Location and ownership

Current locationNational Archaeological Museum of Spain, Madrid