these days, he’d be delighted you share his interest in the occult and magical women. The logo on the image will not appear on the final art painting. We’re sure if you conjured up the spirit of J.W. After a vote of 7-3, the Chantrey Bequest bought the painting for £650- roughly $110,000 today! These days The Magic Circle is a favorite of modern witches who store potions in mason jars and use bullet journals for their grimoires. The Magic Circle debuted at the Exhibition of the Royal Academy in 1886 where it was met with critical acclaim for its originality and beauty. The color palette and brush techniques used in the painting were inspired by naturalist painter Jules Bastien-Lepage who was known for his sentimental depiction of rural life.
#THE MAGIC CIRCLE WATERHOUSE PAINTING FULL#
Somehow, using murky browns and greys, Waterhouse managed to create a picture full of dynamic energy. Since Waterhouse chose dull colors in this particular painting, it’s likely the witch is actually a grey/neutral witch who practices neither white nor black magic. It’s easy to assume these creature are her familiars -animal guides who assist witches with their magic- but since they aren't allowed within the witch’s protective circle they’re probably not, which implies the witch isn’t evil. These animals are all symbols of evil heavily associated with witchcraft. Instead of a black cat, the witch is accompanied by a tiny frog and black birds, either crows or rooks (no, not like the chess piece). Back then it was common practice for spiritualists to perform seances and communicate with spirits.
It looks like our witch is summoning spirits, noted through the abnormal brush patterns jutting out the column of smoke.
The boline’s crescent shape associates the witch with Hecate, Greek goddess of the moon and witchcraft. Like any good witch, she’s got her tools- a wand to cast the circle and a Wiccan sickle called a boline to cut herbs. The magic circle in the ground is a protective barrier against bad hoodoo. This is one of the oldest mythical symbols, dating back to ancient Egypt, and represents the infinite cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Journal: The Magic Circle - John William Waterhouse Classic Victorian Paintings Prosper, Victoria on. This fashionable witch is also wearing what appears to be a snake eating its own tail, an ouroboros, around her neck.
#THE MAGIC CIRCLE WATERHOUSE PAINTING SKIN#
The woman’s skin tone and facial features suggest she’s of Middle-Eastern origin, but her hair is styled in Anglo-Saxon braids and her dress features Greek art. Waterhouse’s formal artistic training and the social environment of 19th century England exposed him to various cultures that influenced his love and portrayal of witches.Īt the time it was trendy to express interest in the exotic and the occult, both of which you can see here in The Magic Circle. He often depicted witches, goddesses, and other magical women not as fearfully evil creatures but as powerful forces to be reckoned with. Waterhouse loved to paint enchantingly beautiful women in nature via the Pre-Raphaelite style. Retrieved October 21 2020.J.W. Waterhouse had a thing for a women who could put him under a spell- literally. When the picture was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1886 the critic for the Magazine of Art wrote "Mr Waterhouse, in The Magic Circle, is still at his best – original in conception and pictorial in his results" "John William Waterhouse The Magic Circle 1886". 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. If you observe the smoke coming out of the caldron, one can ALMOST make out a figure (or figures). The Magic Circle is an oil painting in the Pre-Raphaelite style, created in 1886 by John William Waterhouse. The witches in my circle need me not to explain any in this painting., if anything they may teach me a thing or two about the symbolism behind those animals, I am sure, but for those who are new to this, the painting shows a witch in the middle of act of complete drawing a circle. Arts Eclectic - "Magic Circle", oil painting by John William Waterhouse, in 1886.
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