‘Liebig Company, ‘Le grand sphinx’ from the series ‘Colosses célebres’ 1906, coloured lithography with gold, 11 x 7 cm.
Ramses II, the Grand, brings hommage to the sphinx, explains the text. The pyramids suggest a décor for the great Giza sphinx, yet here another creature is depicted: his nose still is intact. But also the features differ, as are the hieroglyphic inscriptions. This sphinx also forms the top op a roof of what looks like a temple phantasy, monumentel steps leads to the front of the sphinx. The obelisk, also not present on the original Giza plateau, is described with pseudo-hieroglyphs.
The trade card of Liebig Company, advertises ‘meat extract’. The newly invented process of concentrating and preserving beef was so succesfull, the extract was sold all over the world. Between 1870 and 1975, the promotion was done with lithographed cards, mostly in series of 6 or 12 cards. The cards were issued in several countries, so more languages are used, here French. Since the cards were collected from the moment they were given to , the colours, here also gold is added, and quality of lithography undoubtly enhancing a ‘cartophily’.
The sphinx is big, with its height of 20 metres and a length of 55 meters, as the card explains. This card also belongs to a series of six, with the ‘encyclopedic’ theme ‘Famous Colossal Statues’. It further contains the colossus from Nero, the colossus of Rodos (Apollo), The Roland pilar from Halberstadt, the Zeus statue from Athena, and the Liberty statue ‘that enlightens the world’.