Description
Saturday of Witches is a prominent piece in Francisco Goya's 'Black Paintings' series. Originally created as a fresco in the artist's villa on the outskirts of Madrid, the dark and gloomy painting depicts a gathering of witches and warlocks.
The painting uses earth tones to create a night scene. The night and the absence of light are common images in Goya's 'Black Paintings'. The series also often features off-center and unbalanced imagery, here represented by an off-center depiction of the Devil.
The devil is illustrated in black as a goat standing ominously among the assembled coven. Witches and warlocks have ghastly features and terrifying expressions.
Among the crowd is a lone girl dressed in black who seems to be resisting the devil and the ritual of the coven. Like other pieces in the 'Black Paintings', 'Witches' Sabbath' evokes feelings of nightmare and pessimism. The visual aspects of the pieces and their impact on modern art are often seen as precursors to expressionism.
The painting uses earth tones to create a night scene. The night and the absence of light are common images in Goya's 'Black Paintings'. The series also often features off-center and unbalanced imagery, here represented by an off-center depiction of the Devil.
The devil is illustrated in black as a goat standing ominously among the assembled coven. Witches and warlocks have ghastly features and terrifying expressions.
Among the crowd is a lone girl dressed in black who seems to be resisting the devil and the ritual of the coven. Like other pieces in the 'Black Paintings', 'Witches' Sabbath' evokes feelings of nightmare and pessimism. The visual aspects of the pieces and their impact on modern art are often seen as precursors to expressionism.