Who painted Witches' Sabbath?

Witches' Sabbath was painted by Unknown in 1616.

Where can I see Witches' Sabbath?

Witches' Sabbath is held by Statens Museum for Kunst.

What movement is Witches' Sabbath?

Witches' Sabbath is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

Witches' Sabbath

Unknown , 1616

Witches' Sabbath is a photography by the Baroque artist Unknown. It dates from 1616 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. Witches’ Sabbath, painted in 1616 by the artist known as 2913_person, is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography.

About this work

Overview

Witches’ Sabbath, painted in 1616 by the artist known as 2913_person, is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. The work depicts a densely populated interior scene illuminated by low, uneven light, where a central female figure in a blue dress holds a staff amid a tumult of surrounding figures.

Subject & Meaning

The composition suggests a clandestine gathering, often interpreted as a witchcraft rite. Participants are shown in frenzied motion—some playing instruments, others dancing or reaching outward—while skeletal forms and macabre objects such as skulls litter the floor, reinforcing a theme of death and the supernatural.

Technique & Style

The painter employs a dark, earthy palette punctuated by occasional red and gold accents on clothing and details. Figures are rendered with rapid, overlapping brushwork, causing faces and hands to merge into a visual swarm. The chiaroscuro effect heightens the sense of chaos within the dimly lit, crumbling interior.

History & Provenance

Created in the early seventeenth century, the canvas entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings at an unspecified date. Its attribution to 2913_person has remained consistent since its first cataloguing, and the work has been referenced in scholarly discussions of early modern depictions of occult gatherings.

Context

The painting belongs to a broader European tradition of representing witchcraft assemblies, reflecting contemporary anxieties about heresy and the occult. Its crowded composition and emphasis on grotesque detail align it with other early Baroque works that dramatize moral and supernatural concerns through vivid, theatrical imagery.