Martin Johnson Heade was an American painter who lived from 1819 to 1904. He was best known for his luminous still lifes of flowers, birds, and landscapes, particularly from his time in Brazil. Heade was relatively unknown during his lifetime but shot to fame and popularity, in the 20th century for this series of paintings inspired by plants and animal life in South America.

In honour of Halloween aka Samhain, it’s only fitting to look at some of the most alluring representations of witches in history and art. It’s the time of the year when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest.

Witches have been known over the centuries as those who have the most power in making this connection with the spirit world.

Read on to explore history’s most mystical witches and artists’ varying depictions of these skilled and sometimes misunderstood beings.