Hand Painted Halloween Postcard with Witch, Broom, and Cat

Witches, as depicted flying on a broomstick with a black cat, are figures steeped in centuries of European folklore and superstition. This imagery was heavily influenced by medieval and early modern beliefs surrounding witchcraft, which often associated these figures with supernatural powers and night-flying rituals, culminating in the notorious witch trials that spanned from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Their enduring visual language later found its way into popular culture, becoming synonymous with the autumn festival of Halloween.