![]() The meaning of the picture is unclear, but its mystery and exoticism struck a chord with contemporary observers. But within its confines are flowers and the woman herself, objects of beauty. Outside the circle the landscape is bare and barren a group of rooks or ravens and a frog – all symbols of evil and associated with witchcraft – are excluded. With the wand in her right hand she draws a protective magic circle round her. In her left hand she holds a crescent-shaped sickle, linking her with the moon and Hecate. Her dress and general appearance is highly eclectic, and is derived from several sources: she has the swarthy complexion of a woman of middle-eastern origin her hairstyle is like that of an early Anglo-Saxon her dress is decorated with Persian or Greek warriors. The woman in this picture appears to be a witch or priestess, endowed with magic powers, possibly the power of prophecy. This is one of Waterhouse's earlier works, and reflects his fascination with the exotic. His oeuvre also includes a number of middle-eastern subjects, in which he drew on the work of contemporary artists such as J.F Lewis (1805–76) and Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836–1912), rather than on actual experience. More specifically, the notion of woman as enchantress is one that recurs in images such as Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysees (1891, Oldham Art Gallery) and Hylas and the Nymphs (1896, Manchester City Art Gallery). Miracles, magic and the power of prophecy are common themes in Waterhouse's art. Unlike Frederick Sandys' portrayals of sorceresses, such as his Medea (1868) or Morgan le Fay (1864), Waterhouse chose to make his witch's face intent and intriguing, as opposed to malevolent. The witch wears a similar dress to Miranda and her face can also only be seen in profile. The Magic Circle is similar in composition to Waterhouse's later picture, Miranda (1916), also a woman associated with magic. A live snake ouroboros loops around the woman's neck. Instead of billowing outwards or being affected by the wind, it remains in a straight line. The witch's power is emphasised by the determined face, by her exclusion of the ravens and frog – popular symbols representing magic – and by her command over the smoke pillar. Waterhouse paid careful attention to the angles employed in this work, balancing the circle the figure is drawing around herself by the use of a triangle – her straight arm, extended by the straight stick, held out at 25 degrees to her erect body. The surrounding landscape is hazy, as though it is not quite real, and the background figures are only discernible on close inspection, deliberately ensuring the witch is the only image of importance. In a style typical of Waterhouse, the main character is a lone, female figure, placed centrally on the canvas. The painting was extremely successful with the critics and public alike. The painting was well received at its exhibition, and was purchased for £650 the same year by the Tate Gallery, through the Chantrey Bequest. Eulalia, was Waterhouse's third exhibit with a supernatural theme in as many years. You can stretch and frame your painting in your local frame-shop.The Magic Circle was shown at the Royal Academy in 1886, and, after Consulting the Oracle and St. Painting reproduction is a high quality expensive product, which we cannot risk to damage by sending it being stretched.Īlso, there are postal restrictions, regarding the size of the shipment.Īdditionally, due to the dimensions of the stretched canvas, the shipment price may exceed the price of the product itself. We not stretch and frame our oil paintings due to several reasons: ![]() TOPofART wants to remind you to keep patient, in order to get you the highest quality, being our mission to fulfill your expectations. In case the delivery date needs to be extended in time, or we are overloaded with requests, there will be an email sent to you sharing the new timelines of production and delivery. The reproduction of John William Waterhouse also needs time to dry in order to be completely ready for shipping, as this is crucial to not be damaged during transportation.īased on the size, level of detail and complexity we need 8-9 weeks to complete the process. High quality and detailing in every inch are time consuming. We will add 1.6" (4 cm) additional blank canvas all over the painting for stretching. ![]() All the materials we use are the highest level, being totally artist graded painting materials and linen canvas. ![]() Once we get your order, it will be entirely hand-painted with oil on canvas. We create our paintings with museum quality and covering the highest academic standards. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |