The Sorceress Circe and the handmaiden Meri
Roman School of the 18th century
Oil on canvas
Canvas dimensions 55 x 43 cm frame 74 x 63 cm
Excellent condition
This beautiful 18th-century painting depicts an attractive Sorceress Circe who, accompanied by her loyal handmaiden Meri, takes a group of sheep to pasture. The gazes of the animals, which convey an evident unease, take on marked human features.
They are the result of the magic of the perfidious and cruel Circe, who bewitched men to transform them into beasts and reduce them to slavery.
Her notoriety is due to one of the most fascinating chapters of the Odyssey, certainly the most adventurous account of Homer's trilogy.
Here we see her dressed in country clothes, but with the ever-present crown on her head, grazing the poor victims in a landscape of villages and towers that resembles the Roman countryside and makes the scene very pleasant.
The vibrant colors and luminosity of the painting are highlighted by its excellent state of preservation.
Certificate of authenticity
