The third film in our series exploring the remarkable collections of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.
In this episode, Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb investigates the shifting image of witches in the early modern imagination. In conversation with curator An Van Camp, we trace how witches were portrayed in prints and drawings from the 15th to the 17th centuries - sometimes grotesque, sometimes seductive, but always threatening. From dark woodcuts to intricate engravings, we uncover the fears and fantasies that shaped these depictions.
Along the way, we encounter one of the most curious objects in the museum: a witch’s bottle, sealed and buried to protect against harmful magic. These artefacts reveal a world gripped by anxiety, where superstition, religion, and art collided in the struggle to explain the unexplainable.
Up Next in Early Modern
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A History of Unbelief
Religious belief looks more precarious in the modern world than ever before. But is that the truth? Dan Snow explores the role of unbelievers throughout history, to discover if we're uniquely unbelieving now, or whether there have always been those who wouldn't believe. This project was made poss...
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Secrets of Shakespeare's Stratford Ep...
In this episode, Alice and Dan discover how the Shakespeare family were rocked by religious turmoil of the 16th century. They visit one of the most notorious Catholic houses in the county, William Shakespeare's schoolroom and the ruins of Evesham Abbey.
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Redcliffe Caves
Redcliffe Caves are a series of man made tunnels beneath the Redcliffe area of Bristol, England. The Triassic red sandstone was dug into in the Middle ages to provide sand for glass making and pottery production. Further excavation took place from the 17th to early 19th centuries and used for sto...
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