Salvator Rosa, Witches at their Incantations, c. 1646

As summer draws to a close we’re looking to the Ashmolean Museum

, which is taking a decidedly dark turn for autumn ahead of Halloween and Bonfire Night. Spellbound: Magic, Ritual & Witchcraft opens today, drawing together works of art, as well as intriguing objects including a human heart encased in lead, spell books and crystal balls from the twelfth century onwards. Salvator Rosa’s painting is truly terrifying, a rare seventeenth-century exploration of witchcraft in Italian painting.