Goya’s ‘Witches’ Sabbath’ painting depicts the Devil in the form of a formed goat holding court before an assembled coven of witches and warlocks. The Devil is painted entirely in black so he appears as a silhoutte with his back to the viewer. Fearful women crouch before him in a circle and the devil’s power of them is absolute. The power the devil exerts over the women has often been compared to the power the king exerts in Goya’s ‘The Junta of the Philippines’ of 1815. In ‘The Junta of the Philippines’, the king’s authority has clearly not been achieved through personal charisma or respect but instead through domination and fear.

The assembled women in the coven are a mixture of both young and old but all share the same twisted facial expressions. The women are all obedient towards the Devil though displaying signs of nerves. On the Devil’s left there sits an old witch in a white headdress that closely resembles a nun’s habit. On this old witch in particular’s right, there are a number of vials and bottles which speculation has asserted provide a hosting service for the drugs necessary for the develish ceremonies.