Painting the magic circle

¶ … painting "The Magic Circle" by John James Waterhouse. Specifically, it will discuss the painting, which is a pre-Raphael style oil on canvas, located in the Tate Gallery in London, painted in 1886. This supernatural painting is one of several Waterhouse painted in the late nineteenth century, and despite their rather odd theme, they were well received by the population, which is why the Tate Gallery bought the painting after its debut.

This painting is deceptively simply, until you take a closer look. It is much more than a sorceress commanding a spell. The difference is in the details, such as the seven ravens (a magical number) watching the spell, or the background, which reminds many of the desert and Egyptian tombs. The sorceress draws a fiery circle in the sand, and wears herbs on her belt, another sign of magic. She draws her spell out of the fire, drawing it up into the night sky, indicating her power over the forces she manages. Even more telling is the snake wrapped around her neck, which indicates her power over the forces of nature. The setting is dramatic, and the colors reflect that. The background and foreground are muted, sandy shades; it is the sorceress and her spell that command the scene. Her dress is a muted blue with Egyptian motifs and dark accents, almost rust or burnt ember in nature. The fire embers burn red and white hot, while the brass container glows with the power of the spell that rises from it. The spell itself is white smoke, rising far past the sorceress into the sky and right out of the painting. The overall size of the painting (roughly 50 inches by 72 inches) indicates the power and force of the ritual and it echoes this theme from several other of Waterhouse's paintings.

This impressionist painting is successful for several reasons. It gains the attention of the viewer at once, and it urges the viewer to look closer to seek out all the details of the work. It looks simple at first, but the more you view it, the more you will find. It is surprising in its theme and focus, because it was painted during the Victorian era, when many people were experimenting with seances and other occultism, and yet the general public did generally not accept that. And yet, this painting was, and it was purchased by the gallery shortly after it debuted, showing how much they valued the painting. All of the little details engage the reader, but they all have significance, too. The ravens are carrion eaters who prey on the dead, the snake is relevant to original sin, and the Egyptian motifs are ancient and mysterious. The actual "magic circle" is the red-hot circle in the sand, created by the woman's wand, and the painting is especially engaging and interesting. Every time the viewer looks at it they see something new and arresting, and that is a testament to a worthy work of art.