Sphinx c. 16th century

Curator: This drawing by Perino del Vaga, simply titled 'Sphinx', dates back to the 16th century. The sepia tones give it a really immediate and classical feel, don’t you think? Editor: It feels charged with a particular tension. A female figure, yet rendered as a hybrid—a monster. What power dynamics are at play when we view her? Curator: Right, it pulls at our contemporary understanding of mythology and gender. It invites us to analyze how feminine agency is often mediated through monstrous forms. Editor: And thinking about the Renaissance context, what was the sphinx's symbolic role during that period? Was it purely decorative, or did it hold a deeper political significance? Curator: These sphinxes often decorated tombs and palaces, and they were a common symbol of wisdom and guardianship, but in the Renaissance, sphinxes also became associated with secrets and enigmas, the feminine divine. Editor: Seeing this work now, it certainly makes me question our ongoing construction of beauty and power, doesn't it? Curator: Absolutely, and it reminds me that we need to continuously interrogate the historical narratives we inherit.