Bitten By Witch Fever

I completed Bitten By Witch Fever in 2018. It remains one of my favourites. The painting was inspired by my deep dive into the history of the use of Scheele’s Green, an arsenic-laced dye invented in the late 18th century and used for many subsequent years to colour wallpaper, clothing, toys and even food. William Morris (1834-1896), a major figure of the British Arts and Crafts movement, used Scheele’s green and Paris green (a similar shade that was more lightfast) in his popular line of wall coverings, rugs, and textiles. The background in Bitten By Witch Fever resembles Morris’ much-admired ‘Trellis’ pattern (1862). It was fashionable to decorate rooms (including nurseries) with materials dyed with Scheele’s Green. Healthy adults may have experienced rashes or oozing sores however children and the elderly were particularly susceptible to poisoning and often died. Eventually, suspicions were raised regarding the toxicity of the dye but it took a number of years (with no small amount of denial) for experts to finally declare that the dye was lethal. It feels representative of our worst consumerist tendencies—to opt for vanity, even when we know it can have adverse consequences.

And why the name ‘Bitten By Witch Fever’? Apparently it was Morris's own phrase to dismiss health concerns around arsenic-laced wallpaper.