Wounded Sphinx 1965

Curator: This is Leon Golub's "Wounded Sphinx," currently held in the Tate Collections. Its dimensions are 755 by 1050 millimeters. Editor: Well, "wounded" is right. I feel a real sense of struggle, like a beautiful, powerful creature brought low. It's kind of tragic, actually. Curator: The sphinx has always been a powerful symbol. Historically, they guarded temples, representing wisdom and strength, but also secrets and riddles. What does it mean to wound such a figure? Editor: Maybe it's about the vulnerability of power, the illusion of invincibility. I mean, those red streaks across the canvas feel like gashes, and that stark black figure seems both defiant and defeated. It's raw. Curator: The red and blue could be read as representing conflicting forces, perhaps societal or political in nature. Golub's work often explores themes of violence and power dynamics. Editor: Yeah, there's definitely a feeling of conflict, of something tearing at the heart of things. It’s a powerful piece, however disturbing. Curator: The layering of symbolism and the immediacy of the brushstrokes make it linger in the mind. Editor: Absolutely. It's a gut punch disguised as a mythical creature.