Waterhouse's Circe

In my Classics class, we have just finished studying Homer's The Odyssey. I have come to really love The Odyssey - it is a great story and is surprisingly easy to read, given it is over two thousand years old. One of my favourite characters that is included in the epic poem is the Goddess Circe. Circe was a favourite subject of Pre-Raphaelite painters; the wonderful John William Waterhouse produced three finished paintings.    

Circe Offering The Cup To Ulysses 1891

This painting depicts the moment when Circe offers the cup of poison to Odysseus/Ulysses which will turn him into an animal, like his crewmen before. In this version Circe looks rather powerful, for at this moment she does not realise that Odysseus has taken an antidote given to him by the god Hermes. The mirror is useful to let much needed light into the scene and to give the viewer a chance to see Odysseus. Circles are used to good effect in this painting; the mirror, the tiled floor, the curve of marble and chair, and the cup. They balance out the straight lines of the column, the diagonal line of Circe's dress and her outstretched arms. 

Circe Invidiosa 1892

This second Waterhouse painting is not a depiction of Circe from The Odyssey, but taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses. In Metamorphoses the story is told of Glaucus and Scylla ( another Odyssey character). The sea-god Glaucus falls in love with the beautiful Scylla, and asks Circe for a love potion. Circe, however, fancies taking Glaucus as her lover and, when he refuses, she takes revenge and pours poison into the pool where Scylla bathes; transforming her into a monster. The act of poisoning the water is the scene which Waterhouse chose to depict for his second painting of the Greek sorceress. The strange sea monster (?) at her feet hints at the outcome of this jealous act. Again, different shapes are contrasted in the composition  the vertical features such as the rectangular canvas shape, Circe's body elongated by the fall of her dress, and the thin stream of poison, are balanced by the circular shape of the bowl, the curl of the ghostly tail, and the ripples and bubbles in the water. The colours in this painting are really beautiful. the variants of gorgeous blue are balanced by the darker hues of Circe's dress and the woods and the pale colour of her skin. I find her dress is very aesthetic - the lose flowing lines and pattern of peacock feathers, which is also suggestive of vanity.

 Circe (The Sorceress) 1911-15

This is the last painting of Circe that Waterhouse did. I think it is quite different from the previous two, for Circe is not shown as a powerful enchantress, but rather a normal woman. She looks quite sullen and thoughtful. The colour orange is prevalent and varies in shades, most striking is Circe's hair and dress. Beautiful!
Best wishes