Mary Hoare (1753–1820) ~ The Three Witches from Macbeth, ink and watercolour on paper, 1781.

Norman Ault (1880-1950) ~ Flame folk, watercolour, 1916.

Aubrey Vincent Beardsley (1872 - 1898) ~ Bacchanalian Witches, pen and brush on paper, 1894,

Hans-Henning Von Voigt aka ALASTAIR (1887-1969) ~ Graphite drawings on paper, date unknown.

Heinrich Kley ( 1863 – 1945)... Demons Pulling People into the Jaws of Hell, Graphite, gouache, and watercolor on paper, 1910-1915.

Martin van Maele (1863 - 1926) ~ illustration for Hysterical poems 1883

Emil Sartori (Franz von Bayros) (1866 - 1924) ~ illustration for poem by Amadée de la Houlette, etching 1907

Agnes Tait (1894 - 1981) ~ Bacchanalian Scene, oil on canvas, date unknown

Louis Châlon (1866-1916) ~ The dream of water , gouache on paper, 1899

Mikoláš Aleš (1852-1913) ~ Libuše's Prophecy from the cycle ‘Praha’ 1904

Roland Topor (1938 – 1997) ~ Untitled illustration for Epikon 1977

Ludwig Gottlieb Karl Nauwerck (1772-1855) ~ Walpurgisnacht, Memphisto, Faust c1810

Born today...Charles Pierre Baudelaire, poet, April 9, 1821, Paris, France

The Spiritual Dawn

When upon revellers the stained dawn breaks 

The fierce ideal comes with it; at that hour, 

Stirred by some terrible avenging power, 

An angel in the sated brute awakes. 

Above the stricken, suffering man there glow 

Far azure plains of unimagined bliss 

Which draw his dreaming spirit like the abyss. 

O pure, beloved Goddess, even so 

O'er the smoked wrecks of stupid scenes of shame 

Brighter and rosier thy sweet memory 

Hovers before my wide eyes hauntingly...

The Sun has dimmed and charred the candles' flame, 

And thus, my glorious all-conquering one, 

Thy shade is peer to the immortal Sun

~ Fleurs du mal / Flowers of Evil

image: Carlo Farneti (1892-1961) illustration for Les Fleurs du Mal 1935

Gustave Doré (1832 - 1883) ~ La Danse macabre, pen and black ink, grey wash and white highlights , date unknown

'There is a great dance over yonder,

My beloved I cannot see,

My beloved I cannot see among the crowd'

-Acoli funeral song

Alexander Székely (1901-1968)... The Temptation of Saint Anthony, Watercolours 1956-1962

I. Camelli... Art Nouveau postcards c1900

Donald Denton ... illustration for Aphrodite by Pierre Louys, privately published 1928

Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel (1850-1913) ... Death and the Conscripts, pen, ink, watercolour and gouache c1875

Harry Clarke (1889 - 1931) .. The Devil's Wife and .her Eldest, pen and ink, reproduced in The Golden Hind, 1924

Alberto Martini (1876 -1954) ~ Illustration from Paradise scene for the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), pencil, Indian ink and gouache 1901-1944