The Crystal Ball (1902), by J.W. Waterhouse After the devout girl reading t
The Crystal Ball (1902), by J.W. Waterhouse After the devout girl reading the missal, Waterhouse painted quite the opposite with this picture full of symbols of witchcraft: a wand, a skull and the woman looking into a crystal ball. Against the young girl reading the holy book, stands here an experienced woman following instructions from a book full of magical symbols. The skull was overpainted in the early 1950’s, but restored in its original state 40 years later.Both paintings were displayed in the same gallery, side by side. They clearly belong together and as such were both bought by Frederick H. Pyman in 1909. Later they became somehow separated. This painting’s last known location is in a private collection in Mexico, whereas the location of The Missal is unknown. -- source link
#painting#symbolism#pre-raphaelite#missal#sorceress#crystal ball#magical book#mexico#witchcraft