The image of the witch as we know it first appeared in visual culture in the late fifteenth century, and became a popular subject in artwork in the years that followed through today. Artists as varied as Dürer, Fuseli, Goya, and Blake used the archetype of magical – and often malevolent – women to titillate their patrons or reflect their own anxiety about female bodies and societal roles, often resulting in works that were either grotesque or beguilingly glamorous.
But what happens when witches themselves wield the brush? In the mid-nineteenth century, a family tree of female visionary artists began to take root. Deeply entrenched in esoteric studies, and often engaging in their own ritual practices, these women began creating works that used their own metaphysical experiences as inspiration, thus becoming their own muses. In doing so they conjured a "re-visioning" of the witch as a complex carrier of feminine power worthy of celebration.
In this richly illustrated online presentation, world-renowned witchcraft expert Pam Grossman will explore the ways in which the image of the witch has evolved over time, and shine a light in the corners of art history where craft and Craft are one and the same.