The Witches’ Sabbath c. 1831 - 1833

Eugène Delacroix's "The Witches' Sabbath" plunges us into a nocturnal gathering, painted with oils to evoke the shadowy depths of our collective nightmares. Notice the convocation of figures dancing in the foregound bathed in a strange light under a stormy sky. In the background stands a ruined abbey, silhouetted against a turbulent sky, recalling the architecture of fear—symbols found in Goya’s visions of the macabre. The theme of the Witches’ Sabbath, or Sabbat, stretches back through centuries, echoing pagan rituals and fears of the unknown. It embodies a primal fear of chaos, a release of societal norms into a frenzy of liberation. This is a Dionysian surge, similar to those depicted on ancient Greek vases, but now tinged with a darker, more forbidden ecstasy. The image stirs deep within us, as the Sabbat cyclically returns in art and literature, forever evolving, shaped by our changing fears and desires. It's a powerful force, engaging us on a visceral level, tapping into the subconscious fears and desires that continue to haunt our collective memory.