John William Waterhouse and the Lady Magic Circles ep 36 w/ Sean O'Shaughnessy

Welcome to We Like Art — the comedy podcast about art history where we roast the classics, guess what's happening in the paintings, and occasionally learn something.

This episode, Tommy Mavra and Manny Muskets are joined by comedian Sean O'Shaughnessy to explore the strange, beautiful, and downright suspicious paintings of British artist John William Waterhouse (1849–1917).

From witches drawing magic circles to mysterious women luring sailors toward disaster, Waterhouse's paintings have the guys questioning everything. Is that woman casting a spell? Is that guy in love with himself? Why are all these women so dangerous? And why does every painting look like it belongs on the wall of someone who owns crystals?

We break down some of Waterhouse's most famous works, including The Lady of Shalott, The Magic Circle, and Echo and Narcissus, while attempting to make sense of Greek mythology, Arthurian legends, ancient poetry, and the artist's apparent fascination with mysterious women.

Along the way, we discuss the story behind Narcissus, the mythology of sirens, the meaning of The Tempest, and whether these paintings are masterpieces or just elaborate fantasy scenarios.

If you love art, comedy, weird history, mythology, and comedians confidently getting things wrong, you're in the right place.

Subscribe to We Like Art for more comedy about famous artists, bizarre paintings, art history, and the stories behind the world's most recognizable works of art.

👍 Like the video if you enjoy comedy mixed with art history.

💬 Comment below: Which Waterhouse painting would you actually hang in your house?

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https://www.instagram.com/tommymavra/

https://www.instagram.com/mannymuskets/

guest:

https://www.instagram.com/seanojokes/

Head Historian:

https://www.instagram.com/sethruddick/

0:00 — John William Waterhouse and the Water Nation

2:27 — Welcome to We Like Art

3:14 — Guest comedian Sean O'Shaughnessy joins the show

5:35 — Meet John William Waterhouse

7:37 — Looking at Waterhouse's portrait

10:15 — The Lady of Shalott: A Witch on a Boat?

18:57 — Revealing the Story Behind The Lady of Shalott

21:21 — Waterhouse's Life and Art History

23:00 — The Magic Circle: Witchcraft or Just a Weird Cooking Show?

29:58 — The Magic Circle Revealed

30:27 — How Much Was This Painting Worth?

38:00 — Echo and Narcissus: A Greek Myth Gets Weird

48:58 — The Story of Narcissus Explained

54:15 — A Mysterious Woman, a Shipwreck, and Greek Mythology

56:19 — The Odyssey, Sirens, and Dangerous Women

1:00:00 — The Guys Investigate a Suspicious Shipwreck

1:02:35 — Waterhouse, Art, and Rap Album Covers

1:06:51 — Miranda and The Tempest: The Final Painting

1:09:29 — What Waterhouse's Paintings Say About Women

1:11:00 — Philadelphia, Comedy, and Mindset University

1:13:07 — Where to Find the Guest

1:13:48 — Like, Comment, and Subscribe