Circe Invidiosa by Waterhouse

Circe Invidiosa by John William Waterhouse, oil on canvas 1892, depicts the minor goddess from ancient Greek mythology who appears as a sorceress in Homer’s Odyssey. Here Circe pours poison into the waters to transfer her rival into a hideous monster, upon whom she stands. The painting reflects the pre-Raphaelite emphasis on brilliant, jewel-like colours, decorative patterns, medieval and early Renaissance compositional styles. John William Waterhouse (1849 - 1917) was an English painter of the Pre-Raphaelite school of the late 19th century. After studying at the British Royal Academy of Art, Waterhouse painted classical scenes from ancient Greek mythology, gradually acquiring the stylistic traits of the Pre-Raphaelites as well as the painterly qualities of the French Impressionists. Though overshadowed by the more famous members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Waterhouse exhibited with great success and produced many paintings with themes of female figures from mythology and the legends of King Arthur.