The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 18, 2024

Scenes of Witchcraft: Day

Scenes of Witchcraft: Day

c. 1645–1649
(Italian, 1615–1673)
Italy, 17th century
oil on canvas
Framed: 76.2 x 9.6 cm (30 x 3 3/4 in.); Unframed: 54.5 cm (21 7/16 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1977.37.2
Location: 217 Italian Baroque

Did You Know?

The artist chose the painting's shape to reference the foundational role of the circle in practicing magic.

Description

Rosa's scene at noon showcases several hoary hags that exemplify his treatment of witches. Clutching skulls, wielding brooms, and slicing lizards, the witches prepare to travel to the Sabbath, an orgy of witches. One witch flays the skin of a thrashing lizard to extract the innards needed to concoct magical unguents, while her companions brandish skulls. Goats were the common mode of transportation for witches, but Rosa substitutes an owl, a harbinger of evil. Although Rosa foregrounds the violent cruelty of witchcraft, situating the grotesque hags in the full light of day introduces a comic aspect to the scene. Rosa's use of comedy and the unexpected to critique the world around him stemmed from the satirical poetry he wrote throughout his stay in Florence and his return to Rome in 1649. By lightening the palette and mood of the painting, Day reflects his interest in satire and his self-appointed role to expose and critique human folly.
  • Family of the Marchese Giovanni Niccolini, Florence; [Heim Gallery, London]. Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1977.
  • Langdon, Helen. Salvator Rosa Paint and Performance. London: Reaktion Books, Limited, 2022. . Chapter 2
    Fabbri, Sara. “Quattro Tondi con Incantesimi di Salvator Rosa nella collezione del marchese Filippo Niccolini.” Notizie da Palazzo Albani XXXVIII (2009): 81-104.
    Cleveland Museum of Art. Catalogue of Paintings. Pt. 3. European Paintings of the 16th, 17th, and 18th Centuries. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1974. Reproduced: cat. 176B, p. 398 - 403
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 138 archive.org
    Salerno, Luigi, and Ira Kohn. "Four Witchcraft Scenes by Salvator Rosa." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 65, no. 7 (September 1978): 225-231.
    Published as: Witches' Scenes Mentioned: P. 224-231: Reproduced: Cover; P. 224, 228-229 www.jstor.org
  • The Novel and the Bizarre: Salvator Rosa's Scenes of Witchcraft. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 15-June 14, 2015).
    The Cleveland Museum of Art (2/15/2015 - 6/14/2015); "The Novel and the Bizarre: Salvator Rosa's Scenes of Witchcraft"
    Salvator Rosa (1615-1673): Bandits, Wilderness, and Magic. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX (organizer) (December 12, 2010-March 27, 2011).
    Kimbell Art Museum (12/12/2010 - 3/27/2011): "Salvator Rosa (1615-1673): Bandits, Wilderness, and Magic", ex. cat. no. 21b, p. 170-173.
    CMA, January 1978: Year in Review, cat. no. 42
  • {{cite web|title=Scenes of Witchcraft: Day|url=false|author=Salvator Rosa|year=c. 1645–1649|access-date=18 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1977.37.2