Illustrator: Hans Baldung Grien, “Witches Sabbath,” (Germany, 1510). Chiaroscuro woodblock print. 13 9/16 x 9 5/8 in. (34.5 x 24.5 cm). Web (Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco Collection).
“Witches Sabbath”
The “Witches Sabbath” is Baldung’s first of many woodcut prints depicting witches and macabre scenes. He trained under Albrecht Dürer who is also well known for his depictions of witches in prints. Although the rise in artistic depiction of witches in 16th-century Germany is often linked to the writing of witch-hunt manuals, such as the Malleus maleficarum (1486), it is more likely that the inspiration came from humanistic interests and classical works. Baldung’s work is bold, humorous, and satirical—just as many of the classical pieces on witches were, including characters from the charming Circe to the ugly night witch Erichto.
This particular piece depicts both older, haggard women and younger, beautiful women as witches. The witches are seen preparing for their sabbath ritual in various questionable scenarios—with one riding backwards on a flying goat (a common motif in medieval witch art) and many others sitting around an explosively overflowing vase, with a cat and skulls and bones at their feet. This piece is also an intentionally dramatic night scene, taking advantage of the chiaroscuro technique of two prints to add color and dimension to the work. It is a piece inspired by the Classics and intended for classically educated members of the humanist circles.
Jo Luckett