A bat and three fully dressed birds flying by moonlight. Watercolour by G. Hope Tait, ca. 1900.

A dream: an owl flies overhead, while large and small figures stand by. Drawing attributed to Thomas Uwins.

An evil man, representing medicine and religion (?), gloats over the death of the freedom of the individual in Switzerland to consume absinthe, represented as a green woman stabbed by a cross. Colour lithograph after A.-H. Gantner, 1910.

A winged man grabbing a young naked woman by the hand while another sits reading a book surrounded by owls and bats. Etching by J.M. Martínez Espinosa after F. Goya.

Witches meeting and performing spell. Etching by J.A.A. Pastelot.

Cupid leading a lame boy through a forest, watched by demons and animals. Watercolour by H.M. Brock, 1907.

Three old hags surround a basket of new-born babies with bats in the distance. Etching by F. Goya, 1796/98.

Heads of a horse shoe bat and a common bat. Drawing, c. 1789.

A man suffering from mental illness or epilepsy is held up in front of an altar on which is a reliquary with the face of Christ, several lame men are also at the altar in the hope of a miracle cure. Watercolour.

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1 print : engraving ; platemark 21.9 x 16.7 cm

Top, a barbastelle bat; bottom, a pipistrelle bat. Engraving by C. Baquoy after Buvée l'Ameriquain, 17--.

1 print : wood-engraving ; image and lettering approximately 7 x 6.5 cm

A bat. Wood-engraving by T. Bewick, 1789.

It has been suggested that this image makes use of the word 'chupar' in meaning 'to suck' or 'to swindle', this is strengthened by the reference to the costume in the form of habits of witches, monks or nuns disguised as witches

1 print : etching with aquatint ; platemark 21 x 15.3 cm

In applying the study of physiognomy to the animal world, Lavater asserts a "proportional difference of force and form. ... From the insect invisible to the naked eye, up to the elephant, is not the gradation of internal and external character perpetually in exact relation?" (vol. II.i. p. 99)
Lavater describes the bats as "expressive of violent passion, but confined to very narrow bounds, an ignoble passion which shuns the light"

Two black flying creature (bats?) fly away from the man suffering perhaps from mental illness or epilepsy; presumably they represent the devils which had possessed him

1 drawing : gouache with blue and black wash ; image 29 x 18.5 cm

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Bats

Images

Catalogue

Top, a barbastelle bat; bottom, a pipistrelle bat. Engraving by C. Baquoy after Buvée l'Ameriquain, 17--.

A bat. Wood-engraving by T. Bewick, 1789.

Three old hags surround a basket of new-born babies with bats in the distance. Etching by F. Goya, 1796/98.

Heads of a horse shoe bat and a common bat. Drawing, c. 1789.

A man suffering from mental illness or epilepsy is held up in front of an altar on which is a reliquary with the face of Christ, several lame men are also at the altar in the hope of a miracle cure. Watercolour.

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Wellcome uses cookies.

Bats

Images

Catalogue

Top, a barbastelle bat; bottom, a pipistrelle bat. Engraving by C. Baquoy after Buvée l'Ameriquain, 17--.

A bat. Wood-engraving by T. Bewick, 1789.

Three old hags surround a basket of new-born babies with bats in the distance. Etching by F. Goya, 1796/98.

Heads of a horse shoe bat and a common bat. Drawing, c. 1789.

A man suffering from mental illness or epilepsy is held up in front of an altar on which is a reliquary with the face of Christ, several lame men are also at the altar in the hope of a miracle cure. Watercolour.

Wellcome Collection

Today’s opening times