The Witches Painting

This painting is part of a series that takes its origin from the suite of etchings known as 'Los Caprichos' by the Spanish painter Francisco Goya. The etchings present a satirical and scathing critique of Spanish society in the eighteenth century. From oppression by the rich and powerful to the placating of the masses through superstition, fantasy and fashion, Goya examines a world of human folly where what is up is down, what is black is white and what is true is false. I felt this was a fitting reflection of the times in which we find ourselves at the moment. Some things just never change. Each painting is based on one of the central figures from the etchings. And though the work is rooted in the critical commentary of Goya my aim was to extend beyond this and to imagine a new and different context for Goya’s characters, one that embraces, complicates, and transcends their original intent.