The Witch
1853
Imagine walking through a dark, ruined landscape at night and bumping into this haggard figure. Gustave Doré’s 1853 illustration captures the quintessential spooky witch, but with a gritty realism that defines his Romantic style. She clutches a massive broom over her shoulder like a weapon, her wild hair flowing down tattered robes as she glares back at you. With creepy crawlies like a spider and lizard at her feet, Doré—a prodigy who started publishing at 15—turns a simple mythological figure into a haunting presence using his mastery of shadow and atmosphere.
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