Three Witches from MacBeth
Medium
Brush and brown wash, with pen and brown ink, over and under graphite, on cream wove paper
Dimensions
33.1 × 27 cm (13 1/16 × 10 11/16 in.)
Classification
ink or chalk wash
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
82698
Art Historical Context
This drawing by Henry Pierce captures the eerie trio of witches from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a scene renowned for its supernatural drama and prophetic power. Created on cream wove paper using graphite, pen and brown ink, and layered brown washes, the work exemplifies the refined draftsmanship typical of 19th-century British artists who translated literary themes into visual form. The combination of precise line work and fluid washes allows the figures to emerge with both clarity and atmospheric mystery, evoking the stormy heath where the witches deliver their fateful prophecies. The medium its...