El libro de las sombras

An unprecedented selection of over three hundred paintings, drawings, and prints of specters, demons, fairies, and witches. A magical and unsettling journey into the world of shadows, guided by 150 masters. A beautiful and breathtaking, previously unpublished selection of paintings, drawings, and prints from the Romantic, Academic, Symbolist, and Pre-Raphaelite periods, with the collaboration of experts in the history of magic, spiritualism, and demonology. This is a magical stroll by moonlight. Throughout the chapters, the reader will encounter the benevolent, malevolent, or ambivalent characters that still populate our collective imagination. They are magicians, witches, fairies, specters, angels, and demons—creatures all born from myths, tales, legends, folk traditions, and literary texts (poetic, narrative, and theatrical). In this gallery of characters, the figure of the femme fatale emerges powerfully. The exhibition does not shy away from the misogyny inherent in the work of some Romantic and Symbolist artists, although it explores the complexity and nuances of the era through the works of several female artists. It also includes some older and more inspiring works: a journey through figurative material that resonates with our contemporary imagination.