Henri-Léopold LEVY (Nancy, 1804 - Paris, 1904) Oedipus defeating the Sphinx Oil on panel, one plate Signed 'Henri Levy' lower left Oedipus winner of the Sphinx, oil on panel, signed, by H.L.Levy 16.14 x 10.24 in. 41.0 x 26.0 cm Provenance: Allard & Noel ; Cheramy sale, May 1908, no. 216 (sale label on verso) ; Another sale, according to a label on the reverse bearing no. 81; Anonymous sale; Paris, Millon, 26 March 2014, no. 93 (sold for €10,000); Acquired at this sale by the current owner; Private collection, Paris Exhibitions: Salon des Champs-Élysées 1894, Paris, room VIII, no 1177 (titled 'Oedipe vainqueur du Sphinx') Bibliography: La Vie Parisienne, 5 May 1894, p. 251 (described as follows: "at the opening of the Salon des Champs-Elysées last Monday (...) the delightful little painting by Mr Henri Lévy, Oedipe vainqueur du Sphinx (...) also attracted a lot of attention"). Léonce Bénédite, Le Musée du Luxembourg, Paris, 1894 (quoted as follows: "Over the last few years, Mr H. Lévy's style has changed, and he has come closer to that of Mr Gustave Moreau in small canvases such as (...) Oedipus Conqueror of the Sphinx and the Little Dead Christ exhibited at the Luxembourg Museum"). Art and fashion. Journal de la vie mondaine, 19 May 1894, p. 318 A. Pallier, "Le salon de 1894. Champs Elysées", La Liberté, 30 April 1894, p.4 Félix Jahyer, "Salon de 1894", L'entracte, 30 May 1894, p. 2 (described as follows: "With two small canvases, Mr Henri Lévy remains the most interesting artist in this room because of his elevated feeling for art and the personality of his workmanship (...) but it is above all in the very small painting Oedipe vainqueur du Sphinx that I find the artistic elevation I was talking about; it seems to me to be of an absolutely superior order. The picturesque setting, with its immense rock in front of which the scene takes place, and its blue horizon that bathes the city seen in the distance, frames the subject admirably. The Muse places a crown on the head of Oedipus, who is treading on the fallen Sphinx. These three small figures have a superb accent in their expression, attitude and movement. They are grouped together with infinite artistry and the idea, the thought that brings them to life emanates from them, clear, powerful and endearing. The painting is broad, solid, vibrant in its vivid colours, with a warm and penetrating harmony.) Pierre Lhermitte, "Chronique du salon", La Nation, 2 June 1894, pp. 1-2 (described as follows: "Let's come straight to the two paintings by Mr Henri Lévy. Oedipus conquers the Sphinx. Deucalion and Pyrrha". (...) Oedipus looks victoriously at Thebes, holding the fallen Sphynx at his feet. He knows the secret of the world and now dominates it. A singular expression of a vanquished monster who cannot resign himself to his defeat. Mr Henri Lévy's two canvases are captivating because of the ingenuity of their arrangement and the surprising variety of their very personal colours. They are a delight for the delicate. They are precious things that one would like to keep for a long time under one's eyes"). Georges Lafenestre, "Les Salons de 1894", La Revue des deux mondes, tome CXXIII, p. 674 (thus described: "In Monsieur H.Levy's small sketches, Oedipe vainqueur du sphinx and Deucalion et Pyrrha, we always find, on the contrary, this science of coloured staging that he owes to his thoughtful admiration for Delacroix. It's easier, it's true, in a small frame than in a large canvas, in a rural setting than in an architectural one, and that's why so many others, no doubt, are content to sow figures in large landscapes"). Henri-Léopold LEVY (Nancy, 1804 - Paris, 1904) 41.0 x 26.0 cm