A coven of witches
Denon, Vivant (1747-1825)
Saint-Non, Jean Claude Richard de (1727-1791) (formerly attributed to)
- Cantor Arts Center (Stanford University)
[Museum inv. no.: 1988.117]Gift of William Drummond
Item location
Description
Two women are seated on chairs in the center of the picture looking outward and smiling slightly. They are holding a book and some papers. To their right is a bird dressed in a monk's robe seated on a stool and holding a broom with the end pointing up high in the air. Right behind the bird is a clothed figure with a goat-like head holding a burning torch. A partly obscured furry animal is at their feet holding a leaf of paper. To the bird's left are two small clothed animals smiling widely. One is wearing a hat with a feather. In the background to the right, several figures are gathered around a fire in the fireplace. A woman kneels holding a book in front of her with outstretched arms. A rat is clothed in a monk's robe playing an oboe (shawm?) or clarinet with the right hand on the top and the left on the bottom with a pot cooking in front of his feet. A naked woman riding a broom with the end pointing up and a candle sticking out of the top faces the fire. To her right and behind the rat, a clothed wolf holds up a candle in his left hand. A severed hand, palm outward with the fingers pointing up and blood dripping down is nailed to the fireplace mantle. Two bats fly overhead. To the left of the seated women, there is a table with two open books, a human skull, and a statue of a devil. A horse skull and a flask are on the floor in front of the table. A knife and fork are stuck in the floor standing upright along with a flask.Iconclass
13B11groups of witches
Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)
Shawm [4258]Clarinet [3836]
RIdIM images
