The Witches' Sabbath by Moonlight

Private collection

landscape

Of the dozen or so known paintings ascribed to Wijnen, an unusual proportion depict scenes of the supernatural and of witchcraft, often by moonlight; such themes popularised by the works of Salvator Rosa, whose engravings were widely admired during the second half of the 17th century. The present painting juxtaposes real and supernatural characters in a nocturnal scene taking place on the outskirts of a village. At the left of the composition, a woman accompanies an adolescent, who seems unable to see her.

About the Artist

Domenicus van Wijnen

1661 – 1698

Dutch painter. Little is known about his life. He was a pupil of the painter and engraver Willem Doudijns (1630-1697) in The Hague. He lived in Rome between 1680 and 1690, where he joined the Bentvueghels, also known as the Schildersbent, a society of Netherlandish artists in Rome. Upon his initiation into the Schildersbent he was given the bent name 'Ascanius', a reference to the son of the Trojan hero Aeneas. He was a painter of historical allegories and conversation pieces. Several of the dozen or so paintings firmly attributed to him depict scenes of witchcraft.

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