Bidspirit auction | Jakob van der Schley -

Jakob van der Schley - Thomasius Begins to Banish Ghosts and Witches from Germany - Engraving - 18th - This engraving portrays a dramatic scene in which a ghostly figure, wrapped in chains and a flowing shroud, is exposed as a fraud. A man and a child recoil in fear as the deceptive ”spirit” is unmasked, symbolizing the Enlightenment’s fight against superstition and witch hunts. The text refers to Christian Thomasius (1655-1728), a German philosopher and jurist who played a key role in ending witch trials in Germany. This illustration belongs to a series of Enlightenment-era prints that criticize superstition and promote rational thought. It reflects the intellectual movement that sought to replace fear and mysticism with reason and empirical knowledge. Artist or Maker: Jakob van der Schley. Medium: Engraving. Date: 18th century.