Circe holds out the cup as if the choice has already been made.

In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus reaches the island of Aeaea after years of being pushed from one danger to the next. Circe, the sorceress of the island, has already turned his men into swine. Now she offers him the same enchanted drink.

Waterhouse paints her from Odysseus’ point of view. She sits high on her throne, arm extended, wand raised, completely in command of the room.

Behind her, the mirror catches the hero’s reflection; at her feet, one of his men has already been changed. The painting is not just about magic. It is about power, temptation and the moment before Odysseus finds out whether he can resist either.