Artwork
Two Witches Fighting
Two Witches Fighting is an unspecified painting by the Symbolist artist Oluf Hartmann. It dates from 1901 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Oluf Hartmann, a Danish painter educated at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, completed the canvas Two Witches Fighting in 1901. The work belongs to the Symbolist current that flourished at the turn of the twentieth century and is presently part of the Statens Museum for Kunst’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents two nude female figures locked in a violent encounter. The figure on the left dominates, clutching the opponent’s hair and poised to deliver a blow, while the right-hand figure kneels, arms outstretched in a defensive gesture. The dark, indistinct backdrop intensifies the sense of supernatural struggle that the Symbolists often used to explore hidden psychological forces.
Technique & Style
Hartmann employs a muted palette dominated by deep shadows, allowing the flesh tones of the bodies to emerge starkly against the murky background. The brushwork is relatively smooth, emphasizing the anatomical clarity of the figures, while the overall composition is compact, focusing the viewer’s attention on the tension between the two protagonists.
History & Provenance
After its creation, the painting was shown at several major exhibitions in the early 1900s, contributing to Hartmann’s reputation before his premature death in 1910. It later entered the holdings of Denmark’s national gallery, Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on view as an example of the artist’s engagement with Symbolist themes.
Artist & collection
Artist
Oluf Hartmann (16 February 1879 – 16 January 1910) was a Danish painter. Trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, he showed his works at important exhibitions in the 1900s.
