witches in the air
The first time I saw this painting, I intuited a narrative that terrified me. I do not know if it is the one Goya had in mind.
The man under the sheet is travelling with his mule through a land of witches. Perhaps the other man, the man the witches have lifted into the air, is, or was, his companion. The traveller would like to do something to help the man, who is being eaten or horribly violated (look closely), but it is too late: To look into the eyes of the witches, or perhaps simply to see them, is to come under their power. That is the reason for the sheet. The traveller hurries past, staring steadfastly at the ground. A third traveller is prostrated with fear. The screams of the doomed man. The dark imprecations of the witches. The sound of grappling hands. |
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