The sculpture of a sphinx, created in 1786 at the request of Duke Carl August and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, was given a distinctly mystical character by the waterfall flowing down in front of it in the grotto made of tuff. The waterfall dried up when the raft trench was filled in. Today, the sculpture is reflected in the cold waters of the Leutra. The stone circle in front of it, called the "Ox's Eye", is also fed by it. It used to be a washing place, later it is said to have been a favorite spot of Franz Liszt. The motif was not only used in park design, but also in the graphic art of Georg Melchior Kraus and Gustave Moreau.