![]() ![]() The painting was very well received, leading him to exhibit at the RA almost every year thereafter until his death in 1917. In 1874, at the age of 25, Waterhouse submitted the classical allegory Sleep and His Half-Brother Death to the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition. ![]() His early works were of classical themes in the spirit of Alma-Tadema and Frederic Leighton, and were exhibited at the Royal Academy. During his early years he studied under his father before entering the Royal Academy schools in 1870. When he was 5 the family moved to South Kensington. He was born in Rome to William and Isabela Waterhouse, both painters themselves. Because of this, he has been referred to as "the modern Pre-Raphaelite", and incorporated techniques borrowed from the French Impressionists into his work. He was one of the final Pre-Raphaelite artists, being most productive in the latter decades of the 19th century and early decades of the 20th, long after the era of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. John William Waterhouse was an English Pre-Raphaelite painter who is most famous for his paintings of female characters from Greek and Arthurian mythology. Accessed 21 September 2022.Ĭlark, Alannah. Anglo-Saxon representation of the woman also captures my interest since I have lineage dating back to that culture, and the detail of the magical tools is compelling.įowles, Frances. To come to a conclusion, my opinion is that the painting is eye-catching, not only because of the magical subject matter and my fascination of divination, but also due to the way the art elements are presented, and how Waterhouse used them to intensify the scenario in the art. Waterhouse's brush strokes supply the smoke with texture, setting forth the illusion that the smoke is moving the smoke being a concoction of lighter colors rather than dark could also be an indicator of positivity within the magic. Also, the contrast between the dark blue-toned sky and the dusty brown land provides the idea that the ritual is taking place at night, which gives a more vulnerable feeling. Pinks, whites, and greens in the flowers give comfort and support the depiction of the woman having good intentions with her magic. ![]() Contrast of light and dark allows the viewer to feel the positivity and femininity of the woman, compared to her darker and uninviting surroundings. Subject matter of the artwork is visually intriguing due to the wonder of the mystical, and is enhanced by the use of the art elements.ĭeepening the feelings of positive and negative within the painting, tone has several responsibilities. Many different cultures are present in the composition the woman's hair appears to be of Anglo-Saxon style, yet she is holding a druid knife in her left hand and the end of her dress depicts greek art. Landscape is very much a part of the scene within the painting as it takes place in a rocky, bare, outdoor terrain, which is another depiction of the influence of the natural world in Pre-Raphaelite art. With the idea that the woman is a witch casting a protective spell against dark forces surrounding her, it accurately conveys the Pre-Raphaelite views on female power, also, the mystical and magical imagery of the woman portrays their interest in femme fatale. ![]() We can assume that the spell is good and the woman has positive energy by the display of flowers attached to the woman and within the circle, in addition to the lightness of the woman's dress and the use of rather feminine colors. Firstly, on the outskirts of the woman, there is imagery, such as the skull, and ravens that perhaps symbolize dark forces, all the meanwhile the witch is drawing a circle around her and casting a spell. Many areas of The Magic Circle have symbolic meanings, relevant to the rebellious nature of the Pre-Raphaelites. In addition, his compositions regularly symbolized Pre-Raphaelite views. John William Waterhouse's paintings frequently illustrated prophecy, magic, and mystical scenarios, and were inspired by popular literature of the time period. The power of femininity represented in this art movement reflects the Pre-Rephaelite attitude towards women and erotic nature, much opposed to the victorian era's perspective on females. Goals of the Pre-raphaelite Brotherhood included changing art and rebelling against the victorian era of artwork to which they accomplished by using dramatic realism to depict sacred subjects and images of everyday life, often featuring long-haired, beautiful women. One of the fascinating things about the context behind Pre-Raphaelite paintings is that they were often influenced by spiritualism and literature, and most always portrayed realism and the natural world. ![]()
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