Title
The Witch (Night Piece), 1626. Creator: Jan van de Velde (Dutch, 1620-1662).
Caption
The Witch (Night Piece), 1626. This nocturnal scene depicts a bare-breasted sorceress concocting her evil brew in the company of bizarre beasts. She stands within a "magic circle" scratched into the ground, the supernaturally consecrated space for witchcraft-a likely inspiration for the circular forms of Rosa's paintings. She overturns a horn into her cauldron engulfed in billowing flames; mixing with the powder are two streams of ash that spew forth from pipes held in the anus of a somersaulting demon at left. The swirling, decorative composition and the variety of grotesque creatures making knowing and silly faces at the viewer add elements of whimsy and farce to the ostensibly serious, occult subject.
Credit line
Photo12/Heritage Images/Heritage Art
Reference
HRM19G15_309
Model release
NA
Property release
NA
License type
Rights managed
Available size
47,5Mb (7,1Mb) / 15,4in x 12,0in / 4632 x 3588 (300dpi)