This horizontally oriented painting, nearly square in shape, depicts four devilish figures with human features gathered around a scarecrow. One devil stands directly in front of the effigy, while the other three sit on the ground observing the scene from a distance. The scene takes place on an open green field on a sunny day. The colour palette is natural and evenly lit, dominated by greens, blues, browns and reds.

In the foreground are the scarecrow and a devilish figure resembling a middle-aged man. Both figures stretch the full height of the composition. The scarecrow stands on the left. It consists of a tall wooden post dressed in a black hat and a checkered shirt stuffed with straw, giving it a human shape. Straw protrudes from the sleeves and hat. The outer shirt is a dusty pink, while the inner one is black. Some areas are patched with light fabric. A long brown cloth drapes from the shirt down to the ground.

To the right stands the devil-man, turned toward the scarecrow and seen in left profile. He has thick black hair with a single black horn at the top of his head. His skin is dark with a red hue. He has thick, furrowed black brows, black eyes fixed on the effigy, a small rounded nose, and a wide smile. He sports long black moustache, a short light beard, and dark sideburns. His chest and neck are bare. In his left hand, he holds a wooden stick pressed to his chest; in his right, he carries a brown hat, facing outward. Over his left shoulder is a ragged cloak made of mismatched fabric: dark green, purple with black checks, and a long red section with a white horizontal stripe at the hem. The cloak covers him from shoulder to ground and is patched with various colours and bits of straw. A foot in a dark sandal peeks from underneath.

In the middle ground, at the centre of the composition, three figures sit on the grass. The first is a woman with long fair hair adorned with straw. She sits sideways on her right hip, propping herself with her right hand. Her other hand rests on her stomach. Her skin is pale, with rosy cheeks. Her face is turned toward the standing devil. She has dark eyes, a small nose, and smiling lips showing teeth. She is nude, wrapped only in a thin golden cloth around her hips and a reddish-brown fabric draped over her left shoulder.

Behind her sit two more devils. One kneels, leaning forward with hands on the ground. He has short black hair and two small yellow horns. His cheeks are red, eyes dark, and mouth curled into a mocking grin. He is nude, with red spots on his torso and fully red legs. A small yellow wing protrudes from his back, and a short red tail emerges from his body.

To the left sits another devil, hugging his shins. He faces forward. His hair is brown, and he has a pair of striped dark horns. His skin is a vibrant red. He has dark eyes, black moustache and beard, and a sardonic smile. His body is nude. From behind him appear a pair of small black wings with white spots and a black tail.

The foreground and middle ground are separated by a horizontal brown path running the full width of the image. The figures stand on green grass in the middle of an open field. The sky is light with soft grey clouds.

Hofman’s work shows strong inspiration from folk demonology and fairy tales. His paintings often include winged beings, fauns and horned devils placed in realistic rural settings. The same is true for Scarecrow, where a devil seizes the ragged cloak of the effigy, amusing the devils watching from afar.

Source: Text by Irena Buchenfeld on the painting Scarecrow
Audio description: Emilia Szymańska
Consultation: Adrian Wyka
Content consultation: Irena Buchenfeld