Pair of Sphinxes

These sphinx sculptures replaced an earlier pair commissioned from Arthur Putnam for the entrance to the Fine Arts Building at the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition. Their Egyptian Revival style reflects the late 19th-century fascination with ancient Egypt, influenced by contemporary archaeological discoveries. Although the original building was demolished in 1929 and later museum structures took its place, the sphinxes remain on site as markers of the de Young Museum’s origins.