Hans Baldung Grien (1510 A.D.)
Witches' Sabbath
Chiaroscuro woodcut
This early 16th century woodcut is an example of a recent innovation in German woodcutting which required two blocks to be carved--one for use as a traditional black and white print, and another used to create colored or shaded highlights over the print. This allowed the artist to create a chiaroscuro effect that required close attention to detail in order to both engrave and paint a particular piece. In Grien's woodcut, he successfully utilizes this technique to create visually fluid motion, especially in regards to the smoke billowing from the pot; and he is able to create a sense of texture and definition which only skilled woodcuts can maintain. The subject of witches was popular in Grien's time as Church inquisitors actively sought out heretics to be tortured and killed at the pope's behest.
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