Witches' den

The den of the title is a kind of cave in which a perverse coven of witches and other demonic characters takes place. Among the swirl of naked bodies flutter black crows. Below, in the foreground, a large winged head takes part in the orgy next to the enormous buttocks of one of the witches in the centre of the scene. The witches have bald heads and grotesque faces, and their bony, angular limbs are reminiscent of the witches in some of Goya's sketchbook drawings, such as Singing and Dancing (D.3), These Witches Will Say It (C.69) and Nothing They Say (C.70). The theme of the gathering of witches is common in other series by Goya, such as the Caprichos, although the gouache technique and its combination with sanguine suggest that it dates from a later period, although a similar chronology cannot be completely ruled out. Pérez Sánchez thinks it could be a preparatory drawing for an unknown engraving.