Art, Science and Witchcraft, the publishing of Malleus Maleficarum, 1487

On this Episode of Playtime, I bring you a bit from my forthcoming book, A History of Light for the Artist. In this chapter I explore the power of the printed word. In the first part I spoke about the darker side of publishing and propaganda through the witchcraft hysteria fomented by the release of Malleus Maleficarum in 1487, the second most popular book in the Middle Ages after the Luther Bible. There are lessons here regarding zealotry, propaganda, misogyny, and the manipulation of truth for prurient and nefarious interests, which informs our modern society. The time period represented in this piece describes a number of published works in the first 100 years following the invention of Gutenberg’s Press in Mainz, Germany around 1455. This is, from A History of Light for the Artist- Art, Science, and the Power of the Printed Word.

Coming up next, a new look at an old master. Who really was William Shakespeare?