Almost ubiquitous in Pop culture, the visual stereotype of the witch essentially boils down to 'Young Sexy Witch' or 'Old Crone', we even see these tropes reflected in costume stores each year! But where did this image of the witch come from? How did it evolve? Did it accumulate gradually over time or was the witch 'invented'? And WHAT does Albrecht Durer, a German Renaissance Artist and Printmaker, have to do with this history? Join Luisa as she explores the curious point in our collective history where the image of the Witch began to morph; uncovering how the misogynistic and outlandish prints of Albrecht Dürer and his disciple Hans Baldung helped to forge the Witch as we know her today.

This session will explore how the political landscape of Europe helped this image proliferate, far and wide, and why these particular stereotypes are still so insidiously difficult to shake. We will also utilise Julia Kristeva's conception of 'Abjection' and the idea of the 'Monstrous Feminine' to unpick how Durer's conceptualisation of the witch belied a deep rooted mistrust and fear of the powerful, leaky, un-contained and uncontainable female body.

We are committed to making our sessions as accessible as possible. If you are unable to pay the full amount for this class, please reach out to us via email at [email protected] and we will provide you with a discount code.