Medium: oil on cardboard
Dimensions: 26 × 34 cm (image only), 40 × 48 cm (with frame)
Signature: signed in the lower right corner: Jahl
On the reverse: countersigned and dated: Jahl 1945
Condition: good (minor scuffs visible, cracks in areas of impasto)
Władysław Jahl’s dark and expressive “Sabbath Scene” is a unique example of his fascination with the fantastical, fairy-tale, and occult worlds, a theme present in his mature work. The painting depicts a mysterious gathering of figures—with a female figure at the center, a blazing bonfire, winged creatures, and shadows resembling ghosts or participants in a ritual.
The color palette is limited to warm browns, oranges, and reds, which heightens the scene’s eerie and trance-like quality. Traces of expressionist brushstrokes and technical freedom bring this composition closer to symbolic and visionary painting.
The painting was created in 1945, toward the end of the artist’s life, after he had settled in Paris—it stands as a testament to Jahl’s personal, spiritual exploration and vivid artistic imagination.
