THE SORCERESS CIRCE
1988, 50x70cm, Bright oil on canvas
“The Sorceress Circe” is a painting from 1988, which stands out for the contrast between the decadent architectural environment and the vitality of nature that is reclaiming it. The red brick palace, partially in ruins, is pervaded by a warm light that seems to filter through the vegetation growing between the cracks of the walls. The ruins are illuminated by a soft light that creates delicate shadows, accentuating the sense of a place suspended in time.
At the center of the scene, Circe emerges as a seductive and fascinating figure, dressed in a white dress that, while delicate and perforated, reveals her timeless beauty. Her enigmatic gaze captures the viewer’s attention, while the basket she carries symbolizes the power of her magic potions.
Around her, animals are represented in a variety of positions ranging from calm to movement. The lion and the lion cub rest in the shadow of an arch, while the gazelle and the deer move freely among the ruins. An owl observes from above, a symbol of wisdom, and the two doves in flight introduce an element of lightness and hope. In the background, a distant city can be glimpsed, perhaps a civilized world in contrast to the wild and magical dimension of the foreground.
Meaning and interpretation:
The work recalls the myth of Circe, the sorceress able to transform men into animals, but her representation goes beyond the simple legendary narrative. Circe becomes a symbol of an ambivalent power that unites seduction and power, nature and culture, freedom and imprisonment. Her beauty and her enigmatic gaze represent the duality of her character: on one hand, she is an enchantress who attracts, on the other, she is a figure who imprisons with her magic.
Animals, a symbol of transformation, play a fundamental role in the work: the lion and the lion cub represent strength tamed by the power of the sorceress, the gazelle and the deer evoke the wild nature that Circe governs, while the owl, guardian of wisdom, adds a further layer of mystery. The doves in flight suggest that freedom could be a possible outcome of transformation, or perhaps the hope of breaking free from enchanted captivity. The contrast between the ruins and the city in the background suggests a passage between two worlds: the magical and the civilized. Circe, while anchored to a decadent place, is at a border point, where reality mixes with myth.
Conclusion:
This work is a fascinating interpretation of the mythological figure of Circe, who, through her power of transformation, explores themes of seduction, power, and freedom. The artist has managed to create an atmosphere suspended between dream and reality, an enchanted world that challenges the logic of time and space.
The ambiguity of Circe, combined with the presence of animals and the distant city, invites the viewer to reflect on the tension between nature and culture, between freedom and imprisonment, between reality and myth. Each element of the scene seems to tell a secret story, a spell that challenges interpretation and pushes one to imagine the mystery that lies behind every gaze and every transformation.
“The Sorceress Circe” is a painting from 1988, which stands out for the contrast between the decadent architectural environment and the vitality of nature that is reclaiming it. The red brick palace, partially in ruins, is pervaded by a warm light that seems to filter through the vegetation growing between the cracks of the walls. The ruins are illuminated by a soft light that creates delicate shadows, accentuating the sense of a place suspended in time.
At the center of the scene, Circe emerges as a seductive and fascinating figure, dressed in a white dress that, while delicate and perforated, reveals her timeless beauty. Her enigmatic gaze captures the viewer’s attention, while the basket she carries symbolizes the power of her magic potions.
Around her, animals are represented in a variety of positions ranging from calm to movement. The lion and the lion cub rest in the shadow of an arch, while the gazelle and the deer move freely among the ruins. An owl observes from above, a symbol of wisdom, and the two doves in flight introduce an element of lightness and hope. In the background, a distant city can be glimpsed, perhaps a civilized world in contrast to the wild and magical dimension of the foreground.
Meaning and interpretation:
The work recalls the myth of Circe, the sorceress able to transform men into animals, but her representation goes beyond the simple legendary narrative. Circe becomes a symbol of an ambivalent power that unites seduction and power, nature and culture, freedom and imprisonment. Her beauty and her enigmatic gaze represent the duality of her character: on one hand, she is an enchantress who attracts, on the other, she is a figure who imprisons with her magic.
Animals, a symbol of transformation, play a fundamental role in the work: the lion and the lion cub represent strength tamed by the power of the sorceress, the gazelle and the deer evoke the wild nature that Circe governs, while the owl, guardian of wisdom, adds a further layer of mystery. The doves in flight suggest that freedom could be a possible outcome of transformation, or perhaps the hope of breaking free from enchanted captivity. The contrast between the ruins and the city in the background suggests a passage between two worlds: the magical and the civilized. Circe, while anchored to a decadent place, is at a border point, where reality mixes with myth.
Conclusion:
This work is a fascinating interpretation of the mythological figure of Circe, who, through her power of transformation, explores themes of seduction, power, and freedom. The artist has managed to create an atmosphere suspended between dream and reality, an enchanted world that challenges the logic of time and space.
The ambiguity of Circe, combined with the presence of animals and the distant city, invites the viewer to reflect on the tension between nature and culture, between freedom and imprisonment, between reality and myth. Each element of the scene seems to tell a secret story, a spell that challenges interpretation and pushes one to imagine the mystery that lies behind every gaze and every transformation.