| The aims of this research were to understand the fundamental meanings contained in Renaissance depictions of the diabolic witch and show that witchcraft was not an homogeneous construct throughout Europe. The witch as an intellectual construction was studied to develop a complex iconography thematically rooted in social and moral inversions. Using the diabolic witch as a cultural stereotype, it was revealed that artists in differing areas did not respond to the same versions of witchcraft. Germany and the Low Countries were selected for geographic comparison; the former experienced an early dissemination of diabolic theories, while the latter represented a traditionally tolerant milieu. This division further included a study of ways in which witchcraft and related themes were used by several prominant artists, demonstrating that individuals both responded to regional interpretations of the black arts and used the witch to express themes that were tied to their greater bodies of work. |
