The Witch (Night Piece)
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A seductive witch standing inside a magic circle prepares a nasty brew for her Sabbath, surrounded by her familiars (supernatural entities) in the form of beasts and demons, as well as symbols of human weaknesses like lust (a goat) and gambling. This engraving reflects the market for prints with dramatic, flickering illuminations similar to tenebrist (extreme dark/light contrasts) paintings from the early 1600s. Their theatrical lighting effects result from layering long, fine lines in dense parallel and crossed patterns. The dark manner of engraving suits the sinister scene portrayed here.
The museum’s own description, in English. Licence: CC0
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Details
- Maker
- Jan van de Velde II (Dutch, 1593–1641)
- Date
- 1626
- Medium
- engraving
- Dimensions
- Platemark: 21.6 x 29 cm (8 1/2 x 11 7/16 in.); Sheet: 24 x 31.5 cm (9 7/16 x 12 3/8 in.)
- Place of origin
- Netherlands
- Held by
- Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · Not on view
- Credit line
- Mr. and Mrs. Lewis B. Williams Collection
Image: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0
More by Jan van de Velde II
Shown in
- The Renaissance Engraver at WorkJul 5, 2026 – Nov 1, 2026
- The Novel and the Bizarre: Salvator Rosa’s Scenes of WitchcraftFeb 15, 2015 – Jun 14, 2015
- Generous Donors: A Tribute to The Print Club of ClevelandApr 2, 1991 – Aug 4, 1991
- Nocturnal ImpressionsFeb 20, 1985 – May 12, 1985
- Seventeenth Century Netherlandish GraphicsApr 27, 1982 – Aug 1, 1982
