Myths of the Sphinx

From the courts of the Egyptian Pharaohs to the pages of modern fiction the mystery of the Sphinx has tantalised mankind through the ages. Sometimes male and sometimes female, he/she has been invoked in connection with the Philosopher’s Stone of the alchemists, the mysteries of Freemasonry, the dreams of the Surrealists and Freudian psychoanalysis, to say nothing of the vast array of objects and buildings decorated with Sphinxes of all descriptions, or the innumerable paintings, verses, essays, novels and dramas of stage and screen graced by the splendour and dread of this most spectacular of mythical beings. The V&A’s collection of Sphinxes of all descriptions is extensive and makes an inspiring starting point for an investigation of the way in which, through centuries and civilisations, this creature first born from a human brain has surpassed our wildest imaginings.