1654
oil
canvas
From the collection of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Dominant colour
The Witches' Sabbath is a 1654 oil by Salvator Rosa, held at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
This painting, The Witches' Sabbath, shows a dark and eerie scene. A group of people, some naked and others clothed, are gathered around a fire. They appear to be performing some kind of ritual or ceremony. The atmosphere is ominous and foreboding. In the center of the painting, a figure stands out, holding a staff and wearing a white cloth around their waist. The figure seems to be leading the ritual or ceremony. The use of chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark, adds to the dramatic and mysterious atmosphere of the painting. The painting's dark and moody tone is reminiscent of the works of Caravaggio, who was known for his use of chiaroscuro.
Salvator Rosa (1615 – 15 March 1673) is best known today as an Italian Baroque painter, whose romanticised landscapes and history paintings, often set in dark and untamed nature, exerted considerable influence from the 17th century into the early 19th century.
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