Witchcraft

SPELL-BINDING Discover how witches have been depicted in art through the ages, in Taschen’s third Library of Esoterica volume

Editors Jessica Hundley and Pam Grossman Publisher Taschen Books Price £30 Web taschen.com Available Now

Witches have appeared in cultures around the world for centuries. Bringing together a wealth of art and articles, Taschen’s 520-page Witchcraft provides a fascinating overview of the female magic user.

The editors, with the help of academics and expert writers, cover aspects of witches and witchcraft in detail. Subjects naturally include their persecution in society, but also their appearance in literature and folklore, the nature of their spells, and how they’ve been viewed through the lenses of pop culture and fashion.

Accompanying these chapters are over 400 gloriously varied pieces of art. While there are a few photos and film stills, the majority of the visuals are paintings. The likes of John William Waterhouse and Francisco Goya rub shoulders with lesser-known but noless-talented painters. There are finely detailed images of covens, dramatic encounters with demons, witches peacefully practising their craft, and more. The result is a cauldron that bubbles over with inspiration.

If your idea of a witch begins and ends with a woman in black, wearing a pointed hat and riding a broomstick, this book will expand your horizons.

RATING ★★★★★

Kremena Chipilova’s 2020 piece depicts the Finnish tale The Three Golden Hairs of the Old Man Vsévède.

Circe and her nymphs entrap Odysseus and his men, in this 1890 piece (artist unknown).