Circe c. 18th century

Editor: Here we have William Sharp's "Circe," sometime between the late 18th and early 19th century, over at Harvard. The etching portrays Circe with this beguiling gaze, holding what I assume is a potion. What's your read of her character here? Curator: Circe, for me, is a figure of potent contradictions. She's both enchantress and exile, powerful and vulnerable. Sharp captures that knowing glint in her eye, doesn't he? As if she's saying, "I know your secrets, and I know your desires." And do you notice the objects she holds? Editor: Yes, I think one is a chalice and the other maybe some kind of potion bottle? Curator: Precisely. One contains the promise of transformation, the other, perhaps, a necessary antidote. It is like an invitation and a warning, all in one elegant frame. Editor: I'm starting to appreciate the layers of complexity Sharp's portraying here!