British, (1840-1920)
-
Circe and the Companions of Ulysses
- (1871), oil on canvas
- 26.97 x 51.18 in. (68.5 x 130 cm.)
-
Editor’s Note:
Be sure to read Circe rediscovered after a century for the curious details of how this painting disappeared from public view for over a century.
An illustration of this painting appears in Character sketches of romance, fiction and the drama, Brewer, Ebenezer Cobham and Marion Harland. vol.2. New York: E. Hess, (1892). Here it is titled Circe and Her Swine.
-
The Miracle of the Gaderene Swine
- (1883), oil on canvas
- 42.5 x 63.3 in. (107.9 x 160.7 cm)
- Tate Museum
About the Artist
Briton Rivière (1840-1920) was an Irish artist born in London, England. He was the son of William Rivière, the drawing-master at Cheltenham College, and afterward an art teacher at Oxford University and received the majority of his art training from his father.
Rivière’s work early on focused on animal-subjects which later occupied him almost exclusively. Rivière lived near to London Zoo, where he spent much time studying the physiology of animals. He painted glorified, romanticized choosing subject matters where he could include wild animals. Another specialty was sentimental, rather humanized paintings of dogs, which were immensely popular with the Victorian public. [DES-01/11]
The original painting – Circe and the Companions of Ulysses – has just been rediscovered:
https://blog.tooveys.com/2018/08/circe-rediscovered-after-a-century/