Artwork Page for The Four Witches (Four Naked Women)

Details / Information for The Four Witches (Four Naked Women)

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
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
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.
Print in black ink of four nude women gathered in a rough circle in an interior. Two to our left have their backs to us, the left-most turning so we see her face in profile. The right two face us, one standing in front of the other. An orb inscribed with "1497 OGH" hangs over their heads, a skull sitting at their feet. From a doorway to our left emerges a lion-like face, mouth open.

The Four Witches (Four Naked Women)

1497

Albrecht Dürer

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

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Contact Us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

    To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

    All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.