Witches' Sabbath. The Witches is a chiaroscuro woodcut by German Renaissance artist Hans Baldung.
This woodcut depicts witches preparing to travel to a Witches' Sabbath by using flying ointment. This is the first woodcut produced by Baldung after leaving the studio of his mentor, Albrecht Dürer, and one of the first Renaissance images to depict both witches that fly and a Witches' Sabbath.
Surrounded by human bones and animal familiars, a group of witches engage in naked revelry as they soar through the air and prepare food for the Sabbath. The image also contains references to a blasphemy of mass and the witches' libidinous nature.
This print was created in the city of Strasbourg, where Hans Baldung was working. This is the first print made by Baldung after becoming a master craftsman and leaving Dürer's workshop, as well as the first to feature his initials.
These initials can be seen hanging on a tree limb to the center-right edge of the print. The chiaroscuro woodcut was a printmaking technique where a color woodblock was used to add tone to the printed image. It was invented earlier in 1508 and had already seen success in the prints of Lucas Cranach the Elder and Hans Burgkmair. This new technology allowed for Baldung's scene to be set at night. This print was made from two woodblocks, one key block for black lines and a color block. There are two versions of The Witches, one printed with a
This woodcut depicts witches preparing to travel to a Witches' Sabbath by using flying ointment. This is the first woodcut produced by Baldung after leaving the studio of his mentor, Albrecht Dürer, and one of the first Renaissance images to depict both witches that fly and a Witches' Sabbath.
Surrounded by human bones and animal familiars, a group of witches engage in naked revelry as they soar through the air and prepare food for the Sabbath. The image also contains references to a blasphemy of mass and the witches' libidinous nature.
This print was created in the city of Strasbourg, where Hans Baldung was working. This is the first print made by Baldung after becoming a master craftsman and leaving Dürer's workshop, as well as the first to feature his initials.
These initials can be seen hanging on a tree limb to the center-right edge of the print. The chiaroscuro woodcut was a printmaking technique where a color woodblock was used to add tone to the printed image. It was invented earlier in 1508 and had already seen success in the prints of Lucas Cranach the Elder and Hans Burgkmair. This new technology allowed for Baldung's scene to be set at night. This print was made from two woodblocks, one key block for black lines and a color block. There are two versions of The Witches, one printed with a
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