Edouard Duval-CarriéLost at Sea
Art Bridges Collection
Jack LevineWitches' Sabbath
About
Using figuration and dark humor in a unique combination of social realism and expressionism, Witches’ Sabbath evokes metaphors for greed and corruption by political forces in the early 1960s. The Cold War brought about anti-communist sentiments in the U.S. government, represented by figures such as a police officer, a businessman, and a politician gathered around a table. Surrounding them are apparitions of Klan members, pigeons, a billy goat, and a United States flag. Distortions in the faces and bodies of the figures suggest a midnight gathering akin to depictions of medieval witches. Loaded with satirical symbolism, the composition is a direct indictment of Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House of Un-American Activities Committee.
Artist
Jack Levine
Dimensions
96 x 84 in. (243.8 x 213.4 cm)
Credit Line
Art Bridges
Date
1963
Medium
Oil on canvas
Object Number
AB.2023.8
Provenance
Artist; to (The Alan Gallery, New York); to Senator William Benton, May 3, 1963; to the Estate of William Benton, 1973; to The Benton Foundation; to the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society; purchased by Art Bridges, TX 2023
