This week we're talking about Romanticism and which piece stands out to me.
Of course, the most famous pieces like Liberty Leading the People, or The Death of Sardanapalus are amazing pieces for this time period, I wanted one that may have been a bit unsettling. So, looking through lists of some paintings has lead me to this great piece- The Witche's Sabbath.
Artist: Fransisco Goya
Year: 1797-1798
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 43cm X 30 cm (17in x 12in)
Unfortunately, this piece of artwork does not have a lot of information background wise. It was bough with five other pieces by the Duke and Duchess of Osuna, and it wasn't told if these pieces were commissioned or not. The five other pieces also relate to witchcraft, as does this one.
This piece of artwork is a bit cryptic to me, yes, I know it deals with witchcraft, but what they are exactly doing is another question. The painting depicts a group of females, young and old alike, huddled around a goat with large horns, who is sitting back as if it were a person. There are more people in the back, though their faces are blurred out. The faces of the people in front seem panicked or concerned, meanwhile the goat as the face of a goat, not showing much expression other than an outstretched hoof, as if it was grabbing for the child of the woman on the right. An older lady on the bottom right is holding a child as well, though this child looks like mere skin and bones. Though the child is emaciated, it does seem to be alive, as it is reaching out to its left.
In the center is a lady in a yellow hood, laying on the ground with her back to us. A child's feet can be seen poking out from under it, as if both the child and the lady are watching the goat. As our eyes follow the lady's body, her feet point to a dead, nearly hollow child, who is laying on its back, yet with its head facing the goat, as if it was saying "You did this to me". The two ladies to the left look horrified, or frightened. Behind them is a pike, holding three doll-like bodies, though they seem to be people hanging by their necks.
This piece is all around unsettling when you look at the small details, and that is what I love about it. It is a beautiful piece of artwork, the brush strokes are magnificent, the shading, while not as harsh as other Romantic pieces, still defines the forms of the people, and stresses the main idea. The background is not detailed, it is not as important as what is happening in the center. All of this brings it together, but this is an unsettling story, showing dead children and horrified people. That's the reason why this piece caught my attention.
