The Witches' Procession (Lo Stregozzo) or The Carcass
Marcantonio Raimondi, Italian
ca. 1475/80–before 1534
Details
Title
The Witches' Procession (Lo Stregozzo) or The Carcass
Artist/Maker
Marcantonio Raimondi, Italian (ca. 1475/80–before 1534)
Date
ca. 1520
Medium
copper engraving on ivory-colored paper
Dimensions
12 3/8 x 25 11/16 inches
Credit
Purchase with funds from the Estate of Barbara Dunbar Stewart and European Art Acquisition Fund
Accession #
2011.117
Location
Currently not on view
Initially hailed as a masterpiece by Marcantonio Raimondi, this engraving—variously titled The Witches Procession (Lo Stregozzo) or The Carcass—has since been reattributed to his talented assistant Agostino Veneziano, whose work reveals a greater affinity for nocturnal, macabre scenes. This print depicts an array of enigmatic skeletal creatures and demon-like humans processing through a marshy landscape. At the top right a wrinkled, witch-like woman perched on one of the beast’s spines leads the group. Hand outstretched, she claws at the heads of frightened children nearby while her male counterparts wield femur bones to clear the path ahead of them. Despite Veneziano’s use of unconventional iconography, the precise meaning of this engraving remains elusive.