10 Stunning Depictions of Circe in Art
A survey of ten artworks spanning from the Renaissance to the late 20th century illustrates the evolving iconography of Circe, the mythological sorceress from Homer's Odyssey. John William Waterhouse's 1892 painting 'Circe Invidiosa' shows her poisoning the waters to transform Scylla, inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses. Angelica Kauffmann's 1786 'Circe Enticing Ulysses' portrays her as a counselor advising the hero. Wright Barker's c.1889 'Circe' presents her as a majestic hostess with tame animals and a lyre. John Collier's 1885 'Circe' depicts her as a passive beauty surrounded by tigers. Louis Chalon's 1888 'Circe' places her before a sun, blending Egyptian and oriental motifs. Dosso Dossi's c.1525 'Circe and Her Lovers in a Landscape' shows her menagerie of transformed lovers. Charles Hermans' 1881 'Circe the Temptress' focuses on a drugged victim in a fin de siècle setting. Susan Seddon Boulet's 1975 untitled work uses oil pastels to create a dreamlike, golden-skinned Circe. Boris Vallejo's 1991 illustration gives her a muscular, battle-ready body. Alan Lee's 1995 watercolor for Rosemary Sutcliff's 'The Wanderings of Odysseus' depicts an elfin Circe surrounded by pigs.
Key facts
- John William Waterhouse's 'Circe Invidiosa' (1892) is at the Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.
- Angelica Kauffmann's 'Circe Enticing Ulysses' (1786) is at the Fralin Museum of Art, University of Virginia.
- Wright Barker's 'Circe' (c.1889) is at Cartwright Hall, Bradford, UK.
- John Collier's 'Circe' (1885) is in a private collection.
- Louis Chalon's 'Circe' (1888) is in the public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
- Dosso Dossi's 'Circe and Her Lovers in a Landscape' (c.1525) is at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.
- Charles Hermans' 'Circe the Temptress' (1881) was sold at Christie's.
- Susan Seddon Boulet's untitled Circe (1975) is held by Annebhd.
- Boris Vallejo's untitled Circe (1991) is on Arthive.
- Alan Lee's 'Circe, The Bewitching Queen of Aeaea' (1995) was published in Rosemary Sutcliff's 'The Wanderings of Odysseus' by Frances Lincoln Publishers Ltd.
Entities
Artists
- John William Waterhouse
- Angelica Kauffmann
- Wright Barker
- John Collier
- Louis Chalon
- Dosso Dossi
- Charles Hermans
- Susan Seddon Boulet
- Boris Vallejo
- Alan Lee
- Rosemary Sutcliff
- J.R.R. Tolkien
- Madeline Miller
- Homer
- Ovid
Institutions
- Art Gallery of South Australia
- Fralin Museum of Art
- University of Virginia
- Cartwright Hall
- National Gallery of Art
- Christie's
- Frances Lincoln Publishers Ltd
- Wikimedia Commons
- ArtUK
- Arthive
- Annebhd
Locations
- Adelaide
- Australia
- Charlottesville
- Virginia
- USA
- Bradford
- UK
- Washington, DC