Saul and the Witch of Endor
1788
Medium
Etching and engraving on paper
Dimensions
49 × 51.5 cm (19 5/16 × 20 5/16 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
132515
Art Historical Context
In the dimly lit chamber of the Witch of Endor, King Saul—Israel's beleaguered first monarch—seeks forbidden counsel in William Sharp's evocative 1788 etching and engraving. Drawn from the biblical tale in 1 Samuel 28, the scene captures Saul's desperate consultation with the medium to summon the prophet Samuel's spirit on the eve of battle against the Philistines. British engraver William Sharp (1749–1824), renowned for his meticulous reproductions of historical and religious subjects, brings dramatic tension to this moment of moral peril and supernatural intrigue. Crafted on paper measuring...
About the Artist
William Sharp · 1749–1824
British, London 1749–1824 London