Artwork Page for The Four Witches (Four Naked Women)

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The Four Witches (Four Naked Women)

1497

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)
Culture
Germany, late 15th Century
Medium
engraving
Credit Line
Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1964.22
Catalogue raisonné
Meder 69
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Dating from early in Albrecht Dürer’s career, this engraving cannot be tied to a specific narrative but may allude to the Greek goddess of the underworld, Hecate. Four nude women gather under an orb with a skull at their feet, while a ghoul emerges to their left. Three of the women could represent Hecate, who was often depicted with three faces or bodies; the fourth may be Diana, Hecate’s counterpart on earth. The nudity and allusions to black magic suggest mischief and the realm of witches. Prints offered a new medium for exploring subject matter that was deemed inappropriate in other media, such as painting.
A vertically oriented print in black ink depicts four nude women gathered in a rough circle in an interior. Two on the left have their backs to us, the left-most turning so we see her face in profile. Her hair is gathered in a hat. The right two face us, one standing in front of the other. The front one covers her genitals in a piece of cloth. An orb inscribed with "1497 OGH" hangs over their heads, and a skull sitting at their feet. From a doorway on the left emerges a lion-like face, mouth open.

The Four Witches (Four Naked Women)

1497

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)
Germany, late 15th Century

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