The Magic Circle is an oil painting in Pre-Raphael style, made in 1886 by John William Waterhouse. The painting depicts a magician or a magician drawing a circle of fire magic on earth to create a ritual space.
Video The Magic Circle (Waterhouse painting)
History
The Magic Circle was shown at Royal Academy in 1886, and, after Consulting with Oracle and St. Eulalia , is the third exhibition of Waterhouse with a supernatural theme over the years. The painting was well received at the exhibition, and purchased for £ 650 in the same year by the Tate Gallery, through the Chantrey Heritage. The painting was very successful with critics and the public.
Maps The Magic Circle (Waterhouse painting)
Description
In typical Waterhouse style, the main character is a woman, a single figure, placed centrally on canvas. The surrounding landscapes blur, as if they are not real, and background numbers can only be seen carefully, deliberately ensuring that wizards are the only important image.
Waterhouse watched carefully the corners used in this work, balancing the circle of figures drawing around him using his straight-angled triangle, extended by a straight stick, holding at 25 degrees to his erect body. The power of a wizard is emphasized by the prescribed face, ruling out crows and frogs - a popular symbol representing magic - and with his command on a smoke pole. Instead of rowing outward or influenced by the wind, it stays in a straight line. A live snake ouroboros revolves around the woman's neck.
The Magic Circle has a composition similar to the next Waterhouse photo, Miranda (1916), also a woman related to magic. The magician wore a dress similar to Miranda and her face was also only visible on the profile. Unlike Frederick Sandys's portrayal of magicians, such as he
Themes
Miracles, magic, and the power of prophecy are common themes in the art of Waterhouse. More specifically, the idea of ​​a woman as an enchantress is one that appears in pictures such as Circe Offers a Cup for Ulysees (1891, Oldham Art Gallery) and Hylas and Nymphs (1896, Gallery Manchester City Art). His Oeuvre also includes a number of Middle Eastern subjects, where he drew works by contemporary artists such as J. F Lewis (1805-76) and Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912), rather than on actual experience. This is one of the earliest works of Waterhouse, and reflects its appeal to the exotic.
The woman in this picture appears to be a magician or a priest, blessed with supernatural powers, perhaps a force of prophecy. His clothes and appearance are generally very eclectic, and come from several sources: he has a dark-skinned skin of a woman from the Middle East; his hairstyle is like the Anglo-Saxon early style; the dress is decorated with Persian or Greek soldiers. In his left hand he held a sickle-shaped crescent, connecting it to the moon and Hecate. With a stick in his right hand he drew a circle of protective magic around him. Outside the circle, the landscape is barren and barren; a group of crows or crows and frogs - all symbols of evil and related to magic - are ruled out. But within its boundaries is the flower and the woman herself, the object of beauty The meaning of the picture is unclear, but its mystery and exotism touch the hearts of contemporary observers. When the image was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1886, critics for Magazine of Art wrote 'Mr Waterhouse, at The Magic Circle', still his best work on conception and images in the results the results' (quoted in Hobson, p.37)
See also
- List of paintings by John William Waterhouse
References
Further reading
- Moyle, Franny (13 June 2009), "Pre-Raphaelite Art: obsessed paintings in Victorian people [print version: Sex and death: The paintings are obsessed with Victorians] ", The Daily Telegraph (Review) , pp.Ã, R2-R3 . Simpson, Eileen (June 17, 2009), "Pre-Raphael for a new generation: Letter, June 17: Pre-Raphael Resurrection", Daily Telegraph . Dorment, Richard (June 29, 2009), "Waterhouse: Pre-Raphael modern, at Royal Academy - review", The Daily Telegraph .
External links
- Magic Circle at johnwaterhouse.com.
- johnwilliamwaterhouse.net
- John William Waterhouse (Art and Life of JW Waterhouse);
- John William Waterhouse (Comprehensive Gallery of Compositions)
- John William Waterhouse Style and Techniques
- Waterhouse in Tate Britain
- Ten Dream Gallery
- John William Waterhouse in "Art History"
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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