Women, water, and magic were common motifs throughout the oeuvre of British artist John William Waterhouse (1849–1917). Two canvases of the same subject, “Miranda” (1875) and “Miranda - The Tempest” (1916), exemplify these themes.
The first is an important early picture, and the other is a major work among his final paintings. While both show the character Miranda from Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest” (circa 1611) on a beach, they have very different atmospheres, reflecting the times and specific interests of Waterhouse when he painted them.
