''The Sorceress'' is a painting by

John William Waterhouse John William Waterhouse (6 April 184910 February 1917) was an English painter known for working first in the Academic style and for then embracing the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's style and subject matter. His artworks were known for their dep ...

completed between 1911 and 1915.Hobson, Anthony. 1989. ''J. W. Waterhouse''. Oxford: Phaidon Christie's. pages 77, 89, 101-105. It is his third depiction, after ''

Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses ''Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses'' is an oil painting in the Pre-Raphaelite style by John William Waterhouse that was created in 1891. The painting depicts a scene from the ''Odyssey''. Circe, a sorceress, offers a cup to Odysseus (commonly ...

'' (1891) and ''

Circe Invidiosa ''Circe Invidiosa'' is a painting by John William Waterhouse completed in 1892. It is his second depiction, after ''Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses'' (1891), of the classical mythological character Circe. This particular mythological portrayal ...

'' (1892), of the Greek mythological character,

Circe Circe (; grc, , ) is an Magician (paranormal), enchantress and a minor goddess in ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion. She is either a daughter of the Titans, Titan Helios and the Oceanid nymph Perse (mythology), Perse ...

, and her name is on the back of the canvas. The inclusion of

leopards The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, ...

and the

loom A loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but th ...

offer further evidence that the painting is of Circe. An oil study for ''The Sorceress'' (c. 1911, 61×51 cm, in a private collection) shows a model with dark brown hair. For the final scene, Circe is depicted as a redhead.

References

External links

''Study'' for ''The Sorceress''
Paintings by John William Waterhouse Paintings of Greek goddesses 1910s paintings Witches in art Books in art Cats in art Circe {{20C-painting-stub

See also

References

External links