Witchcraft and Religious Imagery
In addition to traditional, religious subjects, Baldung was concerned during these years with the profane theme of the imminence of death and with scenes of sorcery and witchcraft. He was responsible for introducing supernatural and erotic themes into German art. He often depicted witches, also a local interest: Strasbourg's humanists studied witchcraft and its bishop was charged with ferreting out witches. His most characteristic paintings are fairly small in scale; a series of puzzling, often erotic allegories and mythological works. The number of Hans Baldung's religious works diminished with the Protestant Reformation's discouragement of idolatry. But earlier, around the same time that he produced Adam and Eve, the artist became interested in themes related to death, the supernatural, witchcraft and sorcery. That Mankind's mortality became a subject for Baldung was not unusual. Baldung’s fascination with witchcraft lasted well into the end of his career.
Read more about this topic: Hans Baldung
Famous quotes containing the words witchcraft, religious and/or imagery:
“You have witchcraft in your lips, Kate. There is more
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the French council.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“When holy and devout religious men
Are at their beads, ‘tis much to draw them thence,
So sweet is zealous contemplation.”
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—Richard Harter Fogle, U.S. critic, educator. The Imagery of Keats and Shelley, ch. 1, University of North Carolina Press (1949)