George Fuller, born in rural Massachusetts in 1822, painted a world caught between light and shadow, reality and imagination. His works often focused on figures living on the margins—women and children whose quiet presence carried a sense of inner life and subtle power. One such painting, And She Was a Witch (1877–1884), exemplifies this sensibility. In the Met’s storage halls, a solitary woman emerges from darkness, lit by an uncanny glow, her gaze poised and deliberate. She is not performing magic; she is the embodiment of observation, autonomy, and quiet defiance. Fuller, steeped in the shadow of New England’s witch trial legacy, seemed drawn to those misunderstood by society, crafting figures who exist both in this world and beyond it.

This week’s episode of Antique Mysteries and Great Paintings explores the secretive life of Fuller’s enigmatic witch. We delve into her history, the painting’s unusual path into the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the subtle spell it casts even while mostly hidden from public view. Tune in as we uncover the quiet, haunting power of a work that continues to watch and whisper across nearly 140 years, reminding us of the stories that linger in shadow, waiting for someone to remember them.