Witches

The Witches is a striking chiaroscuro woodcut by German Northern Renaissance artist Hans Baldung. This artwork vividly portrays witches preparing for a Witches' Sabbath by applying flying ointment, capturing a moment of occult ritual. Notably, it is Baldung’s first woodcut after leaving Albrecht Dürer’s studio and stands as one of the earliest Renaissance images to depict female witches flying and engaging in such ceremonies. While primarily a religious or allegorical piece, its detailed narrative style also aligns with elements of genre painting, highlighting everyday and fantastic themes in a graphic form.