art – Page 3 – The Book of Faustus

Details of Totentanz – XVI C. Germany (Artist Unknown)

Sacristy painting commissioned by the Observant Franciscans. The catalogue description did not give many details, but I would guess by the costumes that this was made somewhere between 1560’s to 1580’s. The theme of the Dance of Death was hugely popular throughout multiple periods of European history, and saw a particular revival after the 1538 series by Master Holbein the Younger, whose works were widely distributed with the advent of the printing press.

Credit: The dance of death. Oil painting.. Credit: Wellcome Collection. CC BY

Fall of Lucifer -1519

Detail from the Offices for the Week, compiled by Andrea Matteo Acquaviva (1458-1529), Duke of Atri. This manuscript is delicately ornamented with Italian red morocco and gilt throughout. Currently property of the Huntington Library. View it in full detail here.

Selections from The Astrologer of the Nineteenth Century

In 1825 Robert Cross Smith, a charlatan, had unsold content from his previously failed magazine The Straggling Astrologer. Its content was “rebranded” into this handbook, The Astrologer of the Nineteenth Century: Or the Master Key of Futurity, being a Complete System of Astrology, Geomancy & Occult Science. The book covers topics from necromancy, charms and incantations, astrology, and a few fun ghost stories. It also includes beautiful illustrations, some of which are copies of earlier English etchings such as the famous graveyard scene with John Dee and Edward Kelley.

Artist Spotlight – Scurvy Drunkard

Scurvy Drunkard is an up-and-coming multimedia artist based in Australia. She first attracted my attention with the paintings she makes with her own blood. Everything she produces is deeply disturbing, and I absolutely love it! Her work touches on themes of fear, body horror, consumption, magic, Eros, and so much else. Who knows what twisted and depraved ideas will come pouring out of her mind at any moment?! See more on her Instagram.

Some of my favorite work of hers, featured below.

Flying Witches – Flemish Miniature

Details from “L’Adoration du bouc” (The Adoration of the Goat) from Jean Tinctor’s, Traité du crime de vauderie, ca. 1470. It was during this period that witches and the Waldensian heretics became associated with the stereotype of flying on broomsticks and beasts to their Sabbats. Thanks to the widespread fabrication of false testimonies obtained under torture, priests and inquisitors were able to literally demonize witchcraft, cementing this type of imagery into the minds of the Christian believers with the help of witchhunting manuals such as Malleus Maleficarum and Compendium Maleficarum, among many others.

Crow & Coffin, Nicholas Adam @ Visible Ink, Malden MA

Ever see a tattoo so good looking it makes your heart ache a little? That would be me now. Beautiful work.

Devils of India

Late 19th or early 20th century Indian gauche paintings of some naughty devils.

Credit: Wellcome Collection

“Witch’s Brew” by Charlie Forsyth, Amulet Tattoos, St. Petersburg FL

This time, image credit goes to ME. Because this one is mine 🙂

MGMT – Little Dark Age

I was a Goth kid in high school. No surprise. I’m still in recovery but I sometimes do relapse. I swear to God, I feel a slight cool breeze in September and I am ready to go full-Bauhaus. I’m going to do my best to not overdo it this time, no promises y’all.

Current mood:

Stained Glass – Sigil of Lucifer

Just a little piece I cobbled together out of spare glass. I had to modify the proportions to work with better with cut glass, but I still think it came out well. More glass works with magical, Satanic and/or astrological themes are also on the way. They’ll be sold locally and on my Etsy page very soon.