The Examination of a Witch - T H Matteson

Tompkins Harrison Matteson was an American portrait painter born in Peterboro, New York, in 1813. Matteson studied at the National Academy of Design and was inspired by the works of William Sidney Mount, a contemporary of the Hudson River School.  He ran a studio in New York City from 1841 to 1850 and he died in Sherburne, New York, in 1884.  His works focused on rural everyday life, historical events and, patriotic and religious figures. His widely known for his depiction of George Washington at Valley Forge (circa 1854), The Spirit That Won the War (circa 1855) and The Spirit of '76 (circa 1845).  In the Examination of a Witch (circa 1853), Matteson re-tells an event that possibly occurred during the Salem witch trials in 1692, where Mary Fisher, a young girl, is arrested by Deputy Governor Bellingham of Massachusetts Bay Colony, and forced to disrobe. The deputy tries to ascertain if she is a witch with the Devil's mark upon her.  Matteson assists the viewers with describing the event by using the facial expressions of the constables, the direct pointing and fainting of the trial room attendees, to suggest a serious transgression has taken place. (source:http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/intro.html) 

Examination of a Witch