Witches' Sabbath (The Great He-Goat)

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/witches-sabbath-the-great-he-goat

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the artwork medium and support?Oil on plaster, transferred to canvas
2. What is the original location of creation?Quinta del Sordo, Francisco de Goya's private residence
3. What is Goya's Witches' Sabbath painting?It is a big oil mural painted on the walls of his house between 1820 and 1823. The picture shows a huge goat leading a group of old witches.
4. Why does the painting have a goat and witches?The goat is a symbol of bad things, and the witches show people who are scared by superstitions. Goya uses them to talk about how fear can hurt people.

Witches' Sabbath: A purported nocturnal assembly of witches, often depicted as a ritualistic gathering led by Satan or a demonic figure.
Quinta del Sordo: The name of Francisco de Goya's house, where the 'Black Paintings' were originally applied directly to the interior walls.
Spanish Inquisition: A historical ecclesiastical tribunal established by Catholic monarchs in Spain, notorious for its persecution of perceived heretics and often associated with witch trials.
Satire: The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.