The Magic Circle
John William Waterhouse, 1886Fine art reproduction on 200gsm matte paper. A5 to A2, plus 12x16 and 18x24 inches.Lilac walls, a glowing lamp, and a sorceress drawing a circle of fire. Picture The Magic Circle above your fireside chair.
The Magic Circle by John William Waterhouse shows a sorceress tracing a circle of fire in the earth with her wand. Inside the circle, she is safe. Outside wait the ravens and a toad. A snake coils around her neck, and smoke rises from her cauldron straight into the sky. Look closely at the smoke. It forms a column so still it seems to hold up the sky. Smoky ochres, deep reds and an open, bleak landscape. Look at the ravens gathered outside the circle, waiting for her to make a mistake.
Waterhouse painted it in 1886, and the Tate bought it the same year, a rare honour for a young painter. It still hangs in Tate Britain, London. Notice the bleak landscape behind her, with the hint of a distant town and a lonely tomb. She has walked a long way to be alone with her power. It was one of his first major works, painted when he was 37. Waterhouse returned to sorceresses all his life, and this is where his fascination began.
The look
Smoky ochres, deep reds and a bleak, open landscape. Atmospheric, powerful and strange. Pre Raphaelite wall art suited to a dark academia study, bedroom or library.
Sizes
| Size | Centimetres | Inches |
|---|---|---|
| A5 | 14.8 x 21 cm | 5.8 x 8.3 in |
| A4 | 21 x 29.7 cm | 8.3 x 11.7 in |
| A3 | 29.7 x 42 cm | 11.7 x 16.5 in |
| A2 | 42 x 59.4 cm | 16.5 x 23.4 in |
| 12 x 16 in | 30.5 x 40.6 cm | 12 x 16 in |
| 18 x 24 in | 45.7 x 61 cm | 18 x 24 in |
This painting stops at A2. Above that size the original photograph loses the fine detail of the brushwork, so the shop does not offer it.
Custom sizes on request. Inch sizes have a slightly different shape from A sizes, so the edges trim a little. Size guide
Frames and delivery
Choose a black, white or oak frame, or order the print unframed. It is printed locally in the UK, Europe, the US, Canada or Australia, at the location closest to you. Free tracked shipping, no customs fees. Printing and delivery
Gifting
A powerful gift for a birthday or a new home. Folklore and fire.
More like this
More Waterhouse in our Pre Raphaelite Art collection: The Crystal Ball, Lamia and The Lady of Shalott, plus Circe Invidiosa and Jason and Medea in Greek Mythology Wall Art. For more sorceresses, see The Love Potion by Evelyn De Morgan.
