Francisco de Goya

Datos Generales
Cronología
1797 - 1798
Ubicación
Lázaro Galdiano Museum, Madrid, Spain
Dimensiones
43 x 30 cm
Técnica y soporte
Oil on canvas
Reconocimiento de la autoría de Goya
Undisputed work
Titular
Lázaro Galdiano Foundation
Ficha: realización/revisión
09 May 2010 / 15 Jun 2023
Inventario
(2.004)
Otros títulos:
Witch Scene
Exorcism Scene
Witch Scene
Exorcism
Historia

Goya was commissioned to paint this canvas to decorate the country house of the Duke and Duchess of Osuna. It later belonged to the Duke of Tovar, and was acquired by José Lázaro Galdiano in 1928.

Análisis artístico

In the middle of the night, a group of old witches practise their magic upon a terrified man, who is dressed only in a white nightshirt. One of the witches chants by candlelight, and another, with an owl perched on her head, holds a basket full of babies. On the other side of the group, a third witch sticks pins into a wax effigy, whilst two bats cling on to her robe, lifting it up. In the centre of the composition, an old crone with a yellow tunic gropes her way towards the crouching man. At the top of the painting, and left largely unfinished, we see a figure looking down over the scene, holding some bones in his or her hands. Some have identified this figure as the devil, whilst others say it is the queen of the witches' coven. Also in the sky are a number of bats and owls in flight.

The composition of the painting is formed by two equilateral triangles, joined by the circle in the centre formed by the main figures. This arrangement, the same one which Goya used in the work known as Berganza and Cañizares or The Witches' Kitchen, brings to mind the Seal of Solomon, a magical symbol often used in witchcraft, to summon the devil or to cast a spell upon an enemy.

According to Marina Cano, the dramatic effect of this composition is heightened thanks to the way in which Goya has used colour: starting out from a layer of black paint which covers the entire canvas, he has applied the colours only to create the areas of light, leaving the rest in darkness.

For more information, see The Witches' Flight.

 

Exposiciones
  • Goya. El Capricho y la Invención. Cuadros de gabinete, bocetos y miniaturas
    Museo Nacional del Prado
    Madrid
    1993
    from November 18th 1993 to February 15th 1994. Exhibited also at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, March 18th to June 12th 1994 and The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, July 16th to October 16th 1994, consultant editors Manuela B. Mena Marqués and Juliet Wilson-Bareau
  • Goya: Prophet der Moderne
    Alte Nationalgalerie
    Berlin
    2005
    from July 13th to October 3th 2005. Exhibitied also at the Kunsthistorischemuseum, Vienna, October 18th 2005 to January 8th 2006, consultant editor Manuela B. Mena Marqués
Bibliografía
  • DESPARMET FITZ - GERALD, Xavier
    L'œuvre peint de Goya. 4 vols
    París
    1928-1950
    p. 210, cat. 172
  • NORDSTRÖM, Folke
    Goya, Saturno y melancolía. Consideraciones sobre el arte de Goya
    StockholmAlquimis & Wiksell
    1962
    pp. 164-168
  • GASSIER, Pierre y WILSON, Juliet
    Vie et ouvre de Francisco de Goya
    ParísOffice du livre
    1970
    p. 295, cat. 358
  • GUDIOL RICART, José
    BarcelonaPolígrafa
    1970
    vol. I, p. 295, cat. 358
  • ANGELIS, Rita de
    L’opera pittorica completa di Goya
    MilanRizzoli
    1974
    p. 111, cat. 341
  • CAMÓN AZNAR, José
    Francisco de Goya, 4 vols.
    ZaragozaCaja de Ahorros de Zaragoza, Aragón y Rioja
    1980-1982
    vol. III, pp. 103 y 104
  • PAZ, Alfredo de
    Goya. Arte e condizione umana
    NaplesLiguori editore
    1990
    ils. 85, 86
  • MENA, Manuela B. y WILSON-BAREAU, Juliet (comisarias)
    Goya. El capricho y la invención. Cuadros de gabinete, bocetos y miniaturas
    MadridMuseo del Prado
    1993
    pp. 211, 212, 213, 214, 215 y 219 (il.),
  • CANO CUESTA, Marina
    Goya en la Fundación Lázaro Galdiano
    MadridFundación Lázaro Galdiano
    1999
    pp. 90, 91 (il.), 92 (det.) y 93
  • SEVA, Antonio and FERNÁNDEZ, Asunción
    Goya y la locura
    Zaragoza
    2000
    pp. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 y 26.
  • IRVING HECKES, Frank
    Goya y sus seis asuntos de brujas
    Goya
    Madrid
    2003
    pp. 197-214
Enlaces externos
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