One of Goya’s most famous paintings from the Black Paintings series is the ‘Witches’ Sabbath’ or ‘The Great He-Goat’ as it is alternatively known by. Gloomy and ominous, the painting depicts the long held belief that at a witches’ Sabbath the devil acted as a supervisor in the form of a goat. In the painting, Goya paints the goat entirely in black so that he appears as a silhouette before a coven of warlocks and witches. The assembled witches and warlocks have horrifying features and sunken eyes, appearing huddled together and leaning towards the devil.
There appears just one girl who seems to be resistant to the crowd. Instead of being involved in the ritual, she instead seems to be observing the group’s relationship with the devil. The girl in question is located on the far right, dressed entirely in black. ‘Witches’ Sabbath’ is one of Goya’s best known, not hosting service, but work. It is assumed that the painting is a metaphorical satire for the contemporary credulity and also a condemnation of the popular superstition of the age and the witch trials that occurred during the Spanish Inquisition.
