Oil On Cardboard Attributed To Eugenio Lucas Velázquez (1817–1870), “witchcraft In The Cave”

Oil on cardboard attributed to Eugenio Lucas Velázquez (Madrid, 1817–1870), “Brujería en la caverna”
(Witchcraft in the Cave).

Eugenio Lucas Velázquez was a major figure in Spanish Romanticism. Deeply influenced by Francisco de Goya, he clearly reflects Goya’s legacy here through a dark and phantasmagorical atmosphere, a loose brushstroke, and a marked interest in themes of the occult, the Inquisition, and witchcraft.

The composition depicts a crowd of figures—many of whom wear hoods or pointed hats reminiscent of the “capirotes” used during Inquisition processions or witch trials — gathered around a massive bonfire within a vast underground cave.

The artist masterfully contrasts the warm, fiery glow of the foreground with a cool blue-green, moonlit opening at the back of the cavern; he uses a dynamic impasto technique to create shifting shadows and striking contrasts of light.

Reference:
José Manuel Arnaiz, “Eugenio Lucas. Su Vida y su Obra,” Madrid, 1981.

Frame size: 53 cm x 44 cm
Cardboard size: 47 cm x 37.5 cm