The Four Witches (1497) is an etching by Albrecht Dürer, the god son of the publisher of the hand book for persecuting witches, The Malleus Maleficarum. These women would be examples of witches, something that people would fear. The Three Graces (1815-17) on the other hand is a sculpture by Antonio Canova, based upon the myth of the three graces. The myth describes the three women, daughters of Zeus and Euroneme, as the embodiment of shared friendship, love and beauty. When looking at the content of the two works, there is no real difference, besides the number of women. Both semi nude, both a group of women interacting with each other, both holding similar poses. But one is considered a picture of beauty while the other a picture of evil. Both of these definitions coming from men. The number three has real significance when it comes to witchcraft. Repetitions of threes were even used as evidence to prosecute a woman of being a witch. So with this in mind, are the three graces the real witches? These pieces are just a perfect example of how the witch trials were purely a way of controlling women and were just another instance of a moral panic.
The Four Witches (1497) is an etching by Albrecht Dürer, the god son of the publisher of the hand book for persecuting witches, The Malleus Maleficarum. These women would be examples of witches, something that people would fear. The Three Graces (1815-17) on the other hand is a sculpture by Antonio Canova, based upon the myth of the three graces. The myth describes the three women, daughters of Zeus and Euroneme, as the embodiment of shared friendship, love and beauty. When looking at the content of the two works, there is no real difference, besides the number of women. Both semi nude, both a group of women interacting with each other, both holding similar poses. But one is considered a picture of beauty while the other a picture of evil. Both of these definitions coming from men. The number three has real significance when it comes to witchcraft. Repetitions of threes were even used as evidence to prosecute a woman of being a witch. So with this in mind, are the three graces the real witches? These pieces are just a perfect example of how the witch trials were purely a way of controlling women and were just another instance of a moral panic.