Artist Statement
Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna) has been used since antiquity as a poison, medicine, and cosmetic ingredient. Although native to Europe and West Asia, the plant has long been naturalized in North America and many other parts of the world. The leaves and berries contain the phytochemicals atropine, scopolamine and hyoscyamine, which, depending on dose and mode of use, can act as deadly poisons, medicines (e.g. DonnatalTM) or even hallucinogens. The Roman Empress Livia Drusilla was rumored to have used the juice of Deadly Nightshade berries to murder her husband, the emperor Augustus. Atropa belladonna was a key component of “flying ointment,” a substance described in European folklore and early modern witch trials. Originally linked to witches’ ability to “fly” on broomsticks to Black Sabbaths, it is more likely that this ointment – carefully prepared with fat and applied at pulse points on the skin – allowed users to hallucinate and “fly” in their dreams.
Original $200. Prints from $200, please inquire.