Sphinx Alley, temple of Amun-Re. From the journey to Egypt

Sphinx Alley, Temple of Amun-Re at Karnak depicts the famous avenue of ram-headed sphinxes that once ran from the Karnak temple complex toward the Luxor Temple — a processional way lined with hundreds of sphinx figures. The avenue was a major feature of ancient Egyptian ceremonial architecture, used for religious festivals. By 1903 much of it lay partially excavated, with sphinxes in varying states of preservation. Ciągliński's study captures this ancient processional landscape in the piercing Egyptian sun.

The repeated sphinx forms create a strong perspectival recession. Ciągliński handles the ancient stone with warm ochre and sandy tones, the shadows deep blue-grey. The composition exploits the linear repetition of the sphinx avenue to create spatial depth.