Witch Hill (The Salem Martyr)

Witch Hill (The Salem Martyr) is a painting, of a convicted witch, soon to be executed, by hanging, during the Salem witch trials. In her eyes, the look of pain is obvious, of an innocent who is powerless to change her fate.[1]

Witch Hill (The Salem Martyr)
Witch Hill (The Salem Martyr)
ArtistThomas Satterwhite Noble
Year1869 (1869)
Typeoil on canvas
Dimensions185.4 cm × 124.5 cm (73.0 in × 49.0 in)
LocationNew-York Historical Society

On the painting

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Thomas Noble posed a young woman as the condemned witch, who worked as a librarian in the Cincinnati library. She was a lineal descendant of a woman who was hanged as a witch in 1692, in Salem, Massachusetts; see Salem witch trials.[2]

The painting's frame is made of heavy walnut. It was made for the canvas by an English woodcarver, one William H. Fry.[2]

At the 1869 Cincinnati Industrial Exposition, the painting won a silver medal. Thomas Satterwhite Noble used the Salem witch trials for powerful moral theme.[3]

As of 2022, the painting is on display at the New York Historical Society.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Denson, Betsy (October 31, 2021). "Some Art Got Closer to The Truth".
  2. ^ a b c "Witch Hill (The Salem Martyr)". New York Historical Society.
  3. ^ Ray, Benjamin (2002). ""Witch Hill," or "The Salem Martyr"". Virginia.edu.
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