A Sphinx, The Embankment, London
1910
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1910
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
A Sphinx, The Embankment, London is a 1910 photographic by Alvin Langdon Coburn, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
The image is a black and white photograph of a sphinx statue situated on a staircase. The sphinx has the body of a lion and the head of a human, with its face turned to the left. It is positioned on a stone staircase, with a railing in front of it. In the background, there are trees and a building. The photograph appears to be taken from a low angle, looking up at the sphinx. This creates a sense of grandeur and emphasizes the statue's imposing presence. To learn more about the artist's use of chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark to create a sense of volume in an image, look up Alvin Langdon Coburn.
A mounted sepia-toned photograph depicts a sculpture of a sphinx positioned beside exterior stone steps. The image captures a view of the sphinx from the Embankment in London. The photograph was taken by Alvin Langdon Coburn in 1910.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Alvin Langdon Coburn kept a tiny camera in every coat pocket, snapping odd angles of London’s streets while pretending to window-shop.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
