Untitled (The Witch with the Dragon) - August Natterer

A surreal, visionary watercolour by German Art Brut artist August Natterer, depicting a mythological figure atop a serpentine creature.

August Natterer, a German artist associated with the Art Brut movement, produced this work during his period of institutionalisation. His imagery often derived from hallucinatory visions, which he documented with precise, deliberate draughtsmanship. This composition features a central figure, often interpreted as a witch or mythological entity, standing atop a serpentine creature. The figure wears a structured, armour-like bodice and a pointed headpiece, holding a floral or botanical element that curves upward like a bow. The creature below occupies a textured, water-like base, rendered with repetitive, rhythmic marks.

Natterer possessed a unique ability to translate complex, internal visual experiences into clear, graphic representations. His approach avoids traditional perspective, favouring a flat, symbolic arrangement of forms that prioritises narrative clarity over anatomical realism. The colour palette remains restrained, relying on soft washes of pigment to define the figures against a neutral, pale background. The lines are thin and controlled, outlining the forms with a focus on contour and decorative detail. This work provides a window into the artist's internal world, where personal mythology and observed reality merge into a singular, cohesive image. The lack of depth and the stylised nature of the figures are characteristic of his broader body of work, which has been studied for its psychological content and its departure from conventional artistic training. The print captures the delicate application of watercolour and the specific, idiosyncratic iconography that defines Natterer's output during his years at the psychiatric clinic in Rottweil.