The Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp (KMSKA), one of Belgium's foremost cultural institutions dating back to 1810, houses A Bronze Sculpture Depicting the Mythical Beast Sphinx, Inventory No. 3079, by Belgian sculptor Rik Poot (1924-2006).

This sculpture exemplifies Poot's fascination with mythological themes and his distinctive ability to convey a sense of mystery and power through dynamic sculptural forms. The Sphinx, a legendary creature with origins in ancient Egyptian mythology that later found expression in Greek tradition, typically features a lion's body with a human head, symbolising the enigmatic and the unknowable.

In Greek mythology, the Sphinx is most famous for posing a riddle to travellers approaching Thebes, devouring those who failed to answer correctly until Oedipus solved the puzzle. This association with riddles and wisdom made the Sphinx a potent symbol of the mysterious and the intellectual throughout Western art history.

Poot's interpretation likely draws on this rich symbolic tradition while incorporating his personal artistic vision. Known for creating sculptures with expressive surfaces and powerful presence, his treatment of the Sphinx would emphasise both its physical power and its symbolic resonance as a guardian of hidden knowledge.

Bronze, with its durability and ability to capture fine detail while conveying mass and weight, serves as an ideal medium for representing this mythological being. The material connects Poot's modern work to ancient sculptural traditions while allowing for contemporary artistic expression and interpretation.

This piece demonstrates how mythological subjects continue to inspire artistic creation across centuries, providing vehicles for exploring universal themes of knowledge, mystery, and the boundaries between the human and the monstrous.