One of the first Surrealist artists to immigrate to the United States, the Swiss-born Kurt Seligmann came to New York from Paris in 1939. His departure from Europe was prompted by the German invasion of Poland and the outbreak of World War II, and his works echo the geopolitical turmoil of the time. In 1944 Seligmann collaborated with the American art historian Meyer Schapiro on a print portfolio titled The Myth of Oedipus, which illustrates episodes from the Greek saga. Seligmann retained only the very essence of the myth, representing the protagonists in an indefinite, abstract space. The figures are almost fluid, organic forms, with corporeal features barely visible under robes and bands. His choice of subject—a famous tale of exile—was certainly no coincidence; the artist might have personally identified with the protagonist, who was forced to leave his home and wander a foreign realm. This image in the series depicts the Sphinx, a mythical creature who posed riddles to passersby.