Frans Francken der JüngereFlemish, 1581–1642Witches' Sabbath
Can I see it?
Yes, on view now
Where is “Witches' Sabbath” now? Victoria and Albert Museum, Europe 1600-1815, Room 6, The Lisa and Bernard Selz Gallery, London. Yes, on view now. Checked October 12, 2026.
London, United Kingdom
RoomEurope 1600-1815, Room 6, The Lisa and Bernard Selz Gallery
Closed· opens at 10:00 AM
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
Frans Francken the Younger (1581-1642) was the most famous of a family of artists. He was likely trained by his father Frans Francken the Elder and perhaps also in Paris by his uncle Hieronymus I. In 1605, he was a member of the Antwerp Guild of St Luke. He rapidly had a large studio that produced many replicas of his extensive output. He was the inventor of the 'monkey kitchen' compositions, a genre that was subsequently widely disseminated by David Teniers (1610-1690) and was renowned for his innovative imagination.
Read on
This painting is a typical example of Frans Francken's representation of witchcrafts that he produced in series. The iconography recalls the traditional conception of the witches oscillating between beauty and horror, sensuality and lust. The witches' Sabbath takes place at night alluding to the illicit character of their activity and the whole scene gives the impression of chaos, a concept of suffering but also of regeneration alluding to the magical power of the witches.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Details
- Accession number
- DYCE.3
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
