The Sorceress (Waterhouse)

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Sorceress is an oil-on-canvas painting by English artist John William Waterhouse, created between 1911 and 1915. It depicts Circe, the enchantress from Greek myth, and is Waterhouse’s third painting of Circe after Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses (1891) and Circe Invidiosa (1892). The scene includes leopards and a loom, symbols that reinforce Circe’s identity. An early study from around 1911 shows Circe with dark brown hair, while the final painting presents Circe as a redhead. The back of the canvas has Circe’s name written on it. The painting measures 76 cm by 110.5 cm (about 30 by 43.5 inches) and is oil on canvas.

See also Circe in the arts; List of paintings by John William Waterhouse.