The Three Witches Conjuring a Bloody Child Before Macbeth
ca 1807-1808
Franz Pforr brings Shakespeare's darkest nightmare to life in this dramatic scene from Macbeth, created just years before his tragic death at age 24. The armored king stands frozen in terror, sword in hand, as three witches stir a bubbling cauldron to summon a ghostly, bloody child from the smoke—a prophecy of his doom. It's a perfect example of German Romanticism's love for the supernatural, complete with lurking shadows, demonic figures in the background, a slithering snake, and a skull in the foreground.