Flight of Fancy... Off for the Sabbot (1927)
by William Mortensen (United States, 1897-1965)

In a roll call of the pioneers of modern photography, one name is never invoked. From the late 1920s to the 1950s, William Mortensen was one of the most famous and celebrated photographers in America. However, his subject matter – which veered towards the savage, indecorous, gothic and grotesque – as well as his use of montage and illustration, made him a pariah among the puritanical new guard in photography, led by Ansel Adams, who tried to write him out of history, and even called him "The Antichrist". 

Mortensen’s methods often made it hard to distinguish whether the results were photographs or not. He used traditional printmaking techniques, such as bromoiling, and developed many of his own. He would create composite images, scratch, scrape and draw on his prints, then apply a texture that made them look like etchings, thereby disguising his manipulations. Consequently, every print was unique. Ultimately, Mortensen’s aim was to create something that, for all intents and purposes, appeared to be a photograph, yet portrayed scenes so fantastic they caused wonder and astonishment in the viewer.

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Witch Riding a Bat (1916)
by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite (Australia, 1888-1960)

Ida Rentoul Outhwaite was an Australian illustrator of children's books, whose work mostly depicted magical creatures such as elves and fairies. Well before modern fairy-tale iterations saw Frozen's Anna and Elsa crowned as unexpected feminist icons, she was celebrating the power of the feminine in subtle ways. The drawings are often emotionally quite intense, depicting a fairy or a feminine child floating above a rocky landscape or scary deep sea, without fear.

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"The Castle Rising Sisters" (a.k.a. "Welsh Witches' Tea Party")
Photograph by Unknown (England)

This photograph is commonly titled "Welsh Witches' Tea Party", but the subjects are not witches, nor are they Welsh. They are posed at Trinity Hospital, Castle Rising in Northampton, England. Trinity Hospital, Castle Rising was an Almshouse Charity, a place for unmarried (or widowed) poor women over age 56 to live.

The original requirements (circa 1600) were: “They must be of honest life and conversation, religious, grave and discreet, able to read, if such a one be had, a single woman, her place to be void on marriage, to be of 56 years at least, no common beggar, harlot, scold, drunkard, haunter of taverns, inns and alehouses.”

Fast-forward to the present day and the criteria of this almshouse charity is not quite as strict. The only qualifying requirement is for single women from parishes of Castle Rising, North Wootton, and Roydon who are in reduced financial circumstances. There’s no dress code these days either, yet the residents take great pride in dressing in the “uniform” (such as in the picture) provided by Henry Howard, Earl of Northampton for special occasions such as Founder’s Day.

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Meteoric Shower of Nov. 13, 1833 (1889)
by Adolf Vollmy
Swiss

This engraving by Swiss artist Adolf Vellmy depicts a significant event in astronomical history: the 1833 Leonid meteor shower. This celestial phenomenon captivated observers worldwide as it unfolded during the early hours of November 13. Hundreds of thousands of meteors streaked across the night sky, leaving an indelible impression on those fortunate enough to witness it. It was the first recorded meteor storm of modern times. 

Please Note: The original image for this artwork is small and low resolution. We've applied cutting-edge upscaling software to enhance its sharpness across all sizes. However, some details might still appear less sharp upon close inspection.

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"Chiroptera" [Vampire Bats] (1904)
plate 67 from Kunstformen der Natur by Ernst Haeckel

Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919) was a German zoologist and naturalist who described and named thousands of new species and created many terms used today in biology. His work of over one hundred illustrations of animals and sea creatures, Kunstformen der Natur ("Art forms in Nature"), would go on to influence the Art Nouveau artistic movement. 

This plate Chiroptera depicts the unique facial structures of various species of leaf-nosed bats, the family of bats which includes vampire bats. 

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Safo (1881)
by Miguel Carbonell Selva (Spain, 1854-1896)

In a painting that goes by the title Safo, we see the figure of Sappho at the moment when she is about to leap to her death, plunging into the sea from the heights of Leukas.

Sappho was a famous Greek poet from the island of Lesbos who lived from c. 630 – c. 570 BC. She is sometimes called the ‘Tenth Muse’ because her abilities to play music and write poetry were legendary. An intriguing story about her death has been circulating for millennia, yet there is no evidence as to its veracity. The story holds that Sappho threw herself off the cliffs of the Greek island Leucadia because of her love for Phaon, a ferryman.

Some scholars believe that Sappho was a lesbian and many of Sappho’s poems can be interpreted as homoerotic. Indeed, the adjective ‘sapphic’ can refer to a certain type of lyric poetry or to lesbianism (ie: a sapphic relationship).

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La Femme Chauve-Souris [The Bat Woman] (1890)
Albert Joseph Pénot (France, 1862-1930)

Albert Joseph Pénot was a French painter known for female forms and landscapes. Today, he is more popularly and specifically recognized for a subset of paintings centering on women of darker, more macabre themes.

Pénot was concerned first and foremost with accurate portrayals of women. Singular female forms were the implicit focus of his work, whereas the worlds surrounding his characters are seldom realized beyond misty atmospheres and patches of shadow and light. Environments are incidental and are typically shrouded in haze, giving the figures themselves specific priority.

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Lilith (1889)
by John Collier (England, 1850-1934)

The apparent sweetness of this work by John Collier, a Pre-Raphaelite painter, is a wonderful testimony of the two sides of Lilith’s figure. Juggling between the images of beauty and that of a cold murderess, Collier is one of the artists that has transformed her image. From the Assyrio-Babylonian goddess, later known as the first woman in Jewish mythology, Lilith slowly turns into a powerful icon.

The contrasting colors of the painting, and its warm palette, further enhance the atmosphere that emerges from the work. This use of the colors, in Lilith as well as in Collier’s other portraits, earned him a certain recognition from his contemporaries. Seen as solemn, his work, however, offers an obvious mastery of tones and light.

Eventually, the figure of Lilith evolves gradually from the dangerous demoness depicted by the religious writings to a symbol of feminism. By her aspect of being equal to Adam, from whom she does not depend, the succubus becomes a feminist icon, a perfect opposition to Eve’s figure. Many powerful, sometimes feared, historical and mythological female figures are associated with snakes. These include Cleopatra and Medusa, whose association with snakes makes them desired or monstrous.

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"Circle of Women Dancing"
by Unknown

This captivating vintage black and white photograph depicts young women dancing in a circle outdoors, possibly as part of a May Day (Beltane) festival. 

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Départ pour le Sabbat [Departure for the Sabbath] (1910)
by Albert Joseph Pénot (France, 1862-1930)

Albert Joseph Pénot (28 February 1862 – 16 October 1930) was a French painter known for female nudes and landscapes. Today, he is more popularly and specifically recognized for a subset of paintings centering on women of darker, more macabre themes.

Pénot was concerned first and foremost with anatomically accurate portrayals of women. Singular female forms were the implicit focus of his work, whereas the worlds surrounding his characters are seldom realized beyond misty atmospheres and patches of shadow and light. Environments are incidental and are typically shrouded in haze, giving the figures themselves explicit priority.

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Fairy Riding a Bat (1921)
by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite (Australia, 1888-1960)

Ida Rentoul Outhwaite was an Australian illustrator of children's books, whose work mostly depicted magical creatures such as elves and fairies. Well before modern fairy-tale iterations saw Frozen's Anna and Elsa crowned as unexpected feminist icons, she was celebrating the power of the feminine in subtle ways.  The drawings are often emotionally quite intense, depicting a fairy or a feminine child floating above a rocky landscape or scary deep sea, without fear. 

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The Destruction of Leviathan (1866)
Engraving by Gustave Doré (France, 1832-1883)

Destruction of Leviathan is based on the Biblical story of Leviathan referenced in the book of Job. Leviathan is described as a giant fire-breathing serpent so terrifying that just the sight of it would drive men insane. The Book of Isaiah later says that on Judgement day, God will slay the serpent. 

The serpent's face likely modeled on depictions of the great Midgard Serpent in Norse tales, and the battle scene itself was based on the Rig Veda, where Indra kills Vritra (the first born of dragons), with a thunderbolt. 

The Destruction of Leviathan represents the abolishment of darkness and insanity. In this work, Gustave uses his depiction of the creature to show the resemblances to terrible creatures described in other various religions to showcase his personal unification philosophy. 

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Hypnosis (1904)
by Sascha Schneider (Germany, 1870-1927)

Sascha Schneider created various paintings and lithographs of naked men that helped transform the eroticized male into an ubiquitous public image for a brief moment in Germany's history. Schneider operated during an unusual period of German history known as the Health and Hygiene Movement, or Freikörperkultur. Seen as a response to the booming industrialization of the 18th and 19th centuries, the movement advocated for a return to traditional exercise and healthy living pursuits, involving a plethora of natural efforts and, among other things, nudity.

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Mother Mushroom and her Children (1900)
by Edward Okuń (Poland, 1872-1945)

Edward Okuń was a painter, draughtsman and illustrator, representative of the Symbolist movement in the art of the Young Poland period. He was known to paint fantasy scenes based on places he traveled. Mother Mushroom and her Children is an illustration of a young mother looking wearily at her mushroom children. The illustration was originally published with the title, "Where the Beeches Dawn" in the influential German art magazine Jugend. 

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"The Vampire Queen" [Marie Schleinzer in Bat Costume] (1896)
Photograph by Atelier Adele Studio (Austria, 1862-1905)

Austrian stage actress Marie Schleinzer in costume for the ballet “Around Vienna” ("Rund um Wien"). In it, Schleinzer plays the allegorical force of evil. This is one of a series of photographs published in the Austrian photographic journal Photographische Correspondenz. 

The photography studio was owned by Adele Perlmutter-Heilperin and her two brothers, Max and William Perlmutter, who founded Atelier Adele in 1862. Adele was the first and only female "k.u.k. Hofphotograph" of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in Vienna and was famous for her ability to photograph women.

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Frog (1814)
by Matsumoto Hoji (Japan, active 1770-1815)

This simple yet amusing print by the Japanese artist Hoji is a woodblock print from "Meika Gafu", 1814, and shows the sad-faced frog in black ink beneath red calligraphy. Toads and frogs were common motifs in "Zenga" or "Zen pictures" during the Japanese Edo period, as Zen monks considered them to be creatures free from the distraction of the mundane world and representing a pure and natural life. 

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Hylas and the Nymphs (1896) 
by John William Waterhouse (England, 1849-1917)

The painting depicts a moment from the Greek and Roman legend of the tragic youth Hylas, based on accounts by Ovid and other ancient writers, in which the enraptured Hylas is abducted by Naiads (female water nymphs) while seeking drinking water.

Hylas, a male youth in classical garb, wearing a blue tunic with a red sash, and bearing a wide-necked water jar. He is bending down beside a pond in a glade of lush green foliage, reaching out towards seven young women, the water nymphs, who are emerging from the pond among the leaves and flowers of Nymphaeaceae (water lilies), including an early depiction of the yellow waterlily, Nuphar lutea. The alabaster skin of the nymphs is luminous in the dark but clear water, with yellow and white flowers in their auburn hair. They have very similar physical features, perhaps based on just two models.

Hylas is being enticed to enter the water, from which he will not return. One of the nymphs holds his wrist and elbow, a second plucks at his tunic, and a third holds out some pearls in the palm of her hand. The face of Hylas in profile is shadowed and barely visible, but the faces of the nymphs are clearly visible as they gaze upon him. The scene is depicted from a slightly elevated position, looking down at the water like Hylas, so no sky is visible. Hylas's position forces the viewer's focus onto the nymphs in the water and the lack of reference to his relationship with Hercules emphasizes that the narrative of the painting is not about Hylas's experiences, but about the sinister nature of the nymphs.

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Hypnotism Owl (1903)
Cover of a book by A. Alpheus
published in Chicago by publisher M.A. Donohue

Unlock the mysterious allure of hypnotism and mesmerism with our unique Hypnotism Owl Matte Poster. Inspired by the captivating cover of the antique book Complete Hypnotism, Mesmerism, Mind-Reading and Spiritualism: How to Hypnotize, this artwork embodies the essence of vintage charm and esoteric knowledge. This print is perfect for those fascinated by the mystical and the unusual.

This high-quality print boasts sharp, vibrant details on a premium matte finish. The historical inspiration is based on the enigmatic cover of a renowned hypnotism and mesmerism guidebook. The intriguing design features an owl, symbolizing wisdom and mystery, making it an eye-catching piece for any room. The versatile decor is ideal for adding a touch of vintage mystique to your home, office, or study.

Transform your space into a haven of curiosity and intrigue with the Hypnotism Owl Matte Poster. This artwork celebrates the fascinating history of hypnotism and spiritualism, offering a glimpse into a world of wonder and mysticism. Whether you're an avid collector of vintage-inspired pieces or simply looking to add a conversation starter to your decor, this poster is a must-have.

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Dante and Virgil in Hell (1850)
by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
French, 1825–1905

William-Adolphe Bouguereau was a French academic painter known for his realistic genre paintings and modern interpretations of classical subjects, particularly emphasizing the female body. 

“Dante and Virgil in Hell” is a compelling work which draws inspiration from Dante Alighieri’s “The Divine Comedy,” specifically the “Inferno” section, where Dante, guided by the Roman poet Virgil, traverses the circles of Hell. In this particular scene, Bouguereau captures the moment in the eighth circle, designated for the sin of Fraud. Here, Dante and Virgil witness a violent struggle between two damned souls: Capocchio, an alchemist and heretic, and Gianni Schicchi, who infamously impersonated Buoso Donati to fraudulently claim his inheritance.

Bouguereau’s portrayal is vivid and dramatic, emphasizing the physicality and intensity of the combatants. The artist’s mastery of realism is evident in the precise brush strokes and the meticulous rendering of muscles, nerves, and tendons, which bring the scene to life with a sense of terribilita and horror. This work diverges from Bouguereau’s typical focus on serene and idealized female figures, showcasing his versatility and ability to explore darker themes with the same technical prowess.

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Portrait of Maud Wagner (1907)
by Unknown Photographer

Maud Stevens Wagner (née Stevens; February 12, 1877 – January 30, 1961) was an American circus performer. She was the first known female tattoo artist in the United States. Wagner was an aerialist and contortionist, working in numerous traveling circuses. She met Gus Wagner—a tattoo artist who described himself as "the most artistically marked up man in America" while traveling with circuses and sideshows—at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (World's Fair) in 1904, where she was working as an aerialist. She exchanged a romantic date with him for a lesson in tattooing, and several years later they were married. 

After leaving the circus, Maud and Gus Wagner traveled around the United States, working both as tattoo artists and "tattooed attractions" in vaudeville houses, county fairs and amusement arcades. They are credited with bringing tattoo artistry inland, away from the coastal cities and towns where the practice had started.

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Storm (1925)
by Zdzisław Jasiński
Polish, 1863-1932

Zdzisław Jasiński, was a Polish painter known for his works in the Academic style and later Impressionistic style. Jasiński’s work often captures the dynamic and dramatic elements of nature, and "Storm" is no exception. 

"Storm" features a vivid and evocative depiction of a summer thunderstorm.  It features dark thunderclouds that are metaphorically shaped like stampeding black horses, which dominate the sky above a flat green landscape. This imagery of horses is powerful, as it captures the energy, power, and unpredictability of a thunderstorm, paralleling the thundering sound of hooves with the rumbling of thunder.

The use of such dynamic and dramatic symbolism is characteristic of Jasiński’s ability to convey the intensity and movement of natural phenomena through his art. The painting likely employs a palette of dark, ominous colors to represent the storm clouds, contrasted with the serene green of the landscape, highlighting the stark impact of the storm on the environment.

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Triunfátor ["The Triumphant"] (c. 1916)
by Josef Mandl
Czech, 1874-1933

Josef Mandl was a Czech painter and professor of drawing. His style was characterized by elements of symbolism, reflecting his fascination with the mysterious and the subconscious. Mandl's paintings often conveyed emotional depth and explored the interplay between reality and imagination. 

Triunfátor, the enigmatic harbinger of fate, dances on the precipice between realms. Unlike the somber specter we often envision, this portrayal defies convention—a paradox in brushstrokes.

Here we see the smoldering remnants of a battlefield, where screams have dissolved into ashen air, Death is not the reaper of dread; he is the weaver of endings. Kneeling by a murky watering hole, Death immerses his skeletal hands. Beside him rests the scythe, its blade dulled by ceaseless harvest. Death cleanses it—a ritual of absolution. 

Triunfátor is not an omen of dread, but a sentinel of cosmic balance. His work here, seemingly done, leaves us pondering: Is he the harbinger or the harbored?

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The White Owl (1856)
by William James Webbe
English (1830-1904)

The White Owl is a captivating piece that exemplifies the artist's meticulous attention to detail and his importance within the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Painted in 1856, the artwork features a solitary white owl resting on its perch within a belfry, a setting that evokes a sense of solitude and contemplation. The owls feathers are rendered with exquisite detail, showcasing Webbe's skill in capturing the texture and softness that is characteristic of an owl's plumage.  

The painting's title, accompanied by the quote "alone and warming his five wits, the white owl in his belfry sits" further emphasizes the owl's isolation and introspective mood. The artwork stands out not only for its technical prowess but also for its ability to convey a deeper narrative through the simple yet profound subject of a white owl in quietude.

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"Trio of Women Dancing" (1918)
Photograph from Dancing with Helen Moller

One of a series of 43 plates depicting classical dance from the book Dancing with Helen Moller which is described as, "a statement of her philosophy, practice, and teaching formed upon the classic Greek model, and adapted to meet the aesthetic and hygienic needs of today."

This image is captioned, "The Classic Ideal—and Ours world! Not even Michelangelo could grasp it. His vision is of man burdened and disquieted, oppressed by mysteries which he cannot penetrate, writhing in conflict with forces too great for his control. In the sculptures of the Greeks, on the other hand, man is calm and untroubled—and the gods, we must remember, are but man exalted and made immortal."

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Selene (1880)
by Albert Aublet (France, 1841-1938)

Albert Aublet’s brilliant ability to draw upon a wide array of sources to inform his compositions is evident in the remarkable present work--centered on a pale-skinned model floating through a clouded sky, dappled with fading stars, above a landscape of purple mountains and ice-blue waters. 

Aublet’s Selene appears to be at the end of her nightly journey, her back arched, legs and arms wrapped around the slight silhouette of the moon, the sky brightening with the pink hues of the oncoming dawn (brought by her brother Helios). 

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The Nightmare (1781)
by Henry Fuseli (Switzerland, 1741-1825)

"The Nightmare" is a 1781 oil painting by Swiss artist Henry Fuseli. It shows a woman in deep sleep with her arms thrown below her, and with an apelike demonic creature crouched on her chest. The painting's dreamlike and haunting evocation of infatuation and obsession was a huge popular success. For contemporary viewers, "The Nightmare" invoked the relationship of the creature and the horse (mare) to nightmares. The work was likely inspired by the waking dreams experienced by Fuseli and his contemporaries, who found that these experiences related to folkloric beliefs like the Germanic tales about demons and witches that possessed people who slept alone.

The etymology of the word "nightmare" does not relate to horses. Rather, the word is derived from mara, a Scandinavian mythological term referring to a spirit sent to torment or suffocate sleepers. The early meaning of "nightmare" included the sleeper's experience of weight on the chest combined with sleep paralysis, dyspnea, or a feeling of dread. The painting incorporates a variety of imagery associated with these ideas, depicting a mare's head and a demon crouched atop the woman. Fuseli may have added the horse as an afterthought, since a preliminary chalk sketch did not include it. Its presence in the painting has been viewed as a visual pun on the word "nightmare" and a self-conscious reference to folklore—the horse destabilizes the painting's conceit and contributes to its Gothic tone.

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Witches' Sabbath [El Aquelarre] (1798) 
Painting by Francisco Goya (Spanish, 1746-1828)

Witches' Sabbath shows the Devil in the form of a garlanded goat, surrounded by a coven of disfigured, young and aging, witches in a moonlit barren landscape. The goat possesses large horns and is crowned by a wreath of oak leaves. On the right, an old crone can be seen holding an extremely starved looking, but apparently still living, infant in her hands, while a younger witch to her right does the same with a healthier looking child, implying they will follow the same fate. The Devil seems to be acting as a sort of priest at an initiation ceremony for the children, although popular superstition at the time believed the Devil often fed on children and human fetuses. The dead body of an infant can be seen discarded to the left, whereas the legs of another can be seen held down with force to the ground by a presumably younger witch in the center foreground. More witches, young and old, can be seen in the background, as well as three dead infants, apparently manacled, hanging from the neck on a stake to the left in the distance.

Typical of the imagery of witchcraft, many of the symbols used are inverted. The goat extends his left rather than right hoof toward the child, while the quarter moon faces out of the the top left corner. In the middle high-ground, a number of bats can be seen flying overhead, their flocking motion echoing the curve of the crescent moon.

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The Lady of Shalott (1888)
Painting by John William Waterhouse (English, 1849-1917)

The Lady of Shalott is a poem by Alfred Tennyson, written 50 years before Waterhouse painted this picture. The Lady of Shalott is cursed and forced to stay in a tower. She is only allowed to look at the world through a reflection in the mirror. One day, she sees a knight, Sir Lancelot, and falls in love with him. She ignores the curse and leaves the tower to find him, which results in her death. Lady of Shalott’s story can be read as a warning about female desire. Victorian society had strict rules and expectations for women that defined ‘acceptable’ behavior.

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