Circe (1888)
by Louis Chalon (French, 1866–1940)
Louis Chalon was a French Symbolist painter and illustrator whose work drew heavily from mythology, allegory, and the decorative arts. His Circe is one of his most arresting images: the enchantress stands framed by a radiant sun — a deliberate allusion to her divine parentage as the daughter of Helios, god of the sun — her expression poised between invitation and threat.
In Greek mythology, Circe is a goddess of magic who dwells on the island of Aeaea. She is most famous from Homer's Odyssey, where she transforms Odysseus's crew into pigs with a potion — only to be outwitted by Odysseus himself, who forces her to restore them. She is one of antiquity's most complex figures: sorceress, host, lover, and obstacle, all at once.
Chalon's painting captures her at the moment before the transformation — still, sovereign, and entirely in control.
Rectangle Canvas Wrap
Gallery-quality canvas with fade-resistant inks and a 1.25" deep pine frame sourced from renewable forests. Arrives wrapped and ready to hang.
- Materials: cotton and polyester composite canvas, pine wood frame
- Inner frame: radiata pine from renewable forests
- Leveling bumpers included for wall protection
- Ready to hang — mounting hardware pre-attached
Care: Dust gently with a clean, damp cloth as needed.