Not all artists prefer to depict portraits and landscapes. Some people want to convey in their images a certain mystery, mysticism, a sense of fear. For example, the scariest picture in the world, which brings endless horror to all Internet users, was photographed from famous canvas titled "Hands Resist Him". This truly terrible canvas created such a stir around itself that many were afraid to even look at it through the monitor screen, thinking that it was cursed. Rumor has it that the artist poured all his dark sides souls and the most terrible nightmares. However, more about everything in our interesting article.
"Hands resist him." Fiction or a real curse?
This creepy painting was painted in 1972 by a famous artist. It depicts a girl resembling a doll and a boy, about 5 years old. Children stand against the background of a glass door, on which a huge number of small hands can be seen.
The scariest painting in the world was copied from a childhood photograph of the artist. Stoneham portrayed himself at the age of 5 and the little girl next door.
What did the artist want to say?
According to Stoneham, the door means nothing more than a wall between the world of the living and parallel world dreams. The boy on the canvas is depicted angry and dissatisfied. And this is not surprising, because he really wants to open the door and see what is outside the real world. But the children's hands resist this, blocking the boy's path. Doll, standing next to, emotionless and empty. She does not see or hear anything, but is the only one who in this case can help the boy to enter the world of dreams.
What creepy stories are associated with the painting?
The first owner of "Hands Resist Him" was the famous American actor John Marley. Some time later, the man died. No one still knows whether the unfortunate picture is really to blame for his death. The same thing happened to other owners mystical canvas. The young family who once owned this eerie picture told about the terrible things that happened in their house. They found the canvas in a landfill along with another pile. Overjoyed, the head of the family took it into the house and placed it in the most prominent place. At night, their little daughter broke into her parents' bedroom, screaming that some children were quarreling in her room. The next day, the girl again reported that the image in the picture had changed somewhat - the children were outside the glass door. After that, the father decided to get rid of the "cursed" creation.
In 2000, the image of the canvas appeared on an online auction. Administrators warned Internet users that this very scary picture in the world, because it was photographed from an analogue of the damned canvas “Hands Resist Him”, which has already brought grief to many people. However, many stared at the image, showing their immense curiosity. And after some time, letters began to arrive at the administrator's postal address, indicating that after viewing the "ill-fated" image, many began to feel dizzy.
Despite the terrible letters, the most terrible picture was still sold. It was taken over by a daring art gallery owner named Kim Smith. After some time, letters also began to come to his address, which said that this was the most terrible picture. Smith was even offered services famous psychics who promised to exorcise demons from this eerie canvas. To date, the fate of the painting is unknown.
"Crying Boy"
The painting "The Crying Boy" was painted by Giovanni Bragolina. Many people viewing the image on the Internet claim that this is the scariest picture of the planet they have ever seen.
There are several versions of this painting. The first says that the artist had a little son of 4 years of age. The boy was very afraid of fire and everything connected with it. Rumor has it that Giovanni allegedly set fire to a match on purpose and brought it to the baby’s face in order to more plausibly capture all his anger and fear. Rumor has it that because of this, the baby hated his cruel father so much that he sincerely wished him to burn. After some time, the boy died of pneumonia, and later, suddenly, a fire broke out in his father's workshop. The fire consumed everything in its path. Only the canvas remained intact. It is no wonder that the "Crying Boy" is the most terrible picture in the world, at the sight of which many hearts shudder.
Later, an unexpected series of fires took place throughout England, in which people died. No matter how strange it may sound, but in all rooms there were works by Giovanni, which remained absolutely untouched. People decided that the ghost of the offended boy, who moved into the canvas, decided to take revenge on the whole world. It is known that the most terrible picture in the world still excites the subconscious of many. The fear that is reflected in the eyes of a small, innocent boy will never be forgotten. Original " crying boy' was never found.
"Red Dragon" by William Blake
One of the most controversial artists and poets painted this painting, drawing inspiration from the Book of Revelation. In the picture, William depicted the devil himself, who appeared to him in dreams.
The author managed to portray the king of darkness quite believably. Many at that time did not even have any doubts that the artist could really meet the devil himself in his dreams.
The Scream by Edvard Munch
As he wrote in his personal diary the artist himself, he depicted in his picture those feelings that he once experienced. "Scream" is undoubtedly included in the list of "The scariest pictures". Art Gallery, which keeps this terrible canvas within its walls, is located in the city of Oslo (Norway) and is called the National Gallery.
Many scientists are of the opinion that Munch was a mentally unbalanced person, because only a person with serious illnesses can portray this. nervous system. The author created pictures of the same subject, which, as he himself claimed, tormented him for many years.
Many believe that the scariest picture in the world is the prototype of Scream. Few people know that the original of this famous canvas caused many deaths. The owners of this creepy picture allegedly endured severe illness or become victims of terrible disasters.
"Venus with a Mirror" Diego Velazquez
There are other most terrible paintings and pictures, for example "Venus with a Mirror", painted by the artist Diego Velazquez.
This seemingly unremarkable canvas has already brought a lot of grief to its owners.
Rumor has it that the one who acquired the damned picture was rapidly ruined and died from That is why "Venus with a Mirror" for a long time could not find a permanent owner. In 1914, the most terrible picture was destroyed, it was cut with a knife by an unknown woman.
"Saturn Devouring His Son" by Francisco Goya
Depicted in his picture mythical character named Kronos, who was afraid that his own son would overthrow him, and in desperation devoured the flesh of his children.
"Nightmare" by Henry Fuselli
"Nightmare" is the work of the famous English artist Henry Fuselli. The author's work was more inclined towards mysticism and secrets. He drew his plots from mythology and literature (most often the master depicted the works of Shakespeare).
In The Nightmare, Fuselli portrayed an unconscious woman on whose chest an incubus (a demon who indulges in sexual pleasures with single women) sits. Her figure is curved and elongated. Between the curtains you can see the head of an eyeless horse, which personifies a contented demon.
Paintings by Zdzisław Beksinski
The Polish artist most often depicted in his paintings dying and deformed people, wars, collapsing worlds, apocalypses and eternal grief.
They say it's like last canvas the artist depicted his death. The painting showed the body of a stabbed man. Such a terrible fate befell the artist. He was killed by the commandant's son because Zdzisław refused to lend him money.
Theodore Géricault and his Severed Heads
For his works, the artist used real human limbs, which he found in morgues. Therefore, it is not in vain that, looking at the image, many argue that this is the most terrible picture in the world.
Conclusion
The picture, like a sponge, absorbs all the positive and negative emotions of the artist. Experienced fear, anger, negativity - all this is certainly reflected on the canvas. This happened in the case of all the paintings listed in our article. Looking at them, we understand what a difficult fate haunted each artist.
Are you used to getting aesthetic pleasure and pleasure from works of art? But the world of painting can not only surprise you, but also scare you. Over the centuries, great artists have created outstanding canvases that will make viewers' hair stand on end.
You do not experience unpleasant excitement at the sight of "Scream"? Or is there another painted "horror story" that is imprinted in your memory? Artifex I picked up for you 10 paintings that you definitely shouldn’t look at before going to bed.
10. Caravaggio, Judith and Holofernes, 1599
Opens top realistic canvas Italian master based on the Old Testament Book of Judith. The legend of a girl who, for the sake of her people, went to the camp of the enemy, won the trust of the commander Holofernes and cut off his head at night, worried artists all over Europe for a long time. Usually she was depicted with a severed head in her hand in the middle of a camp of enemies, but Caravaggio decided to reflect the very moment of the murder. Thanks to this decision, the artist conveyed not only the atmosphere of bloodshed, but also the emotions of the killer and the victim.
9. Bouguereau, Dante and Virgil in Hell, 1850
French 19th century artist century Adolf William Bouguereau was very fond of Dante's poem " The Divine Comedy". The artist depicted a scene from the XXXth song of the part of the poem called "Hell". On the eighth circle of the underworld, the protagonists watch as two damned souls torment the deceiver. Bouguereau worked for a long time on color palette paintings and studied the aesthetic limits of man. The painting, as conceived by the artist, was supposed to convey fear and horror from what is happening in underworld. At the Salon of 1850, this work was disgusted by the public.
The famous triptych is still fraught with many mysteries for researchers. None of the interpretations of the work that exists today is not recognized as exhaustive. The triptych showed the fullness of the artist's imagination and skill. It is dedicated to the sin of voluptuousness, and all three parts reflect main idea Bosch's the smallest details. The outer wings of the triptych depict a serene picture of the universe, but when you open them, you plunge into the atmosphere of insane chaos.
7. Munch, The Death of Marat, 1907
Do not confuse this picture with the majestic work of the same name, which has become a kind of symbol French Revolution. Edvard Munch painted his canvas 114 years after David, and focused not on the figure of a revolutionary publicist, but on the moment of his assassination. In his inimitable manner, the author of The Scream depicts a naked Charlotte Corday a moment after she brutally stabbed Marat. Pumping strokes and an abundance of blood complement the frightening effect of the picture.
6. Blake, The Great Red Dragon and the Sea Monster, 1806-1809
Deservedly considered one of the most mysterious English artists and engravers. Since childhood, this painter was tormented by ghosts and visions, later he depicted them in his works. Blake dedicated a series of paintings to the Red Dragon from The Revelation of John the Evangelist. In this picture, the dragon personifies Satan, towering over another demon - a sea monster. The epic and detailed study of monsters not only frighten, but also cause admiration.
5. Bacon, "Study of the portrait of Innocent X Velasquez", 1953
The work is a rethinking of the "Portrait of Pope Innocent X". The classic of English expressionism painted about 40 such paintings, included in the Screaming Popes series. The artist changed the color of the pope's clothes from red to purple and painted the entire canvas in dark colors. Thanks to the master's technique, the work does not evoke associations with the original portrait of Velazquez, but it makes a frightening and depressing impression.
4. Dali, "The Face of War", 1940
This picture of the famous Spanish artist capable of causing a panic attack in the viewer. Salvador Dali plays not only with symbols, but also with the transfer of mood. The design of a head wrapped in snakes, ever-shrinking skulls in the eye sockets of what was once a man, symbolizes an endless cycle of death. In the lower right corner, the artist "left" the imprint of his hand. And the desert and yellow tones typical of Dali's work give this picture a touch of paranoid madness.
3. Goya, "Saturn devouring his son", 1819-1823
Some engravings can scare even an adult. Among them is the interpretation of the plot from the ancient Greek mythology, where the titan Kronos devours his children in fear of being overthrown by one of them, seems to be the most creepy. Goya depicted madness on the face of an already ugly monster, which further thickens the atmosphere of horror of what is happening. This work "decorated" the wall in his "House of the Deaf", but hardly anyone else would want to pass by such a picture in their house at night.
2. Curry, Gallowgate Lard, 1995
Artist Ken Curry was born in England in 1960. His gloomy canvases reflect the processes taking place in modern world. Curry's paintings affect the viewer's psyche, create a sense of hopelessness and fear in him, but at the same time push him to think. An eerie self-portrait of the artist is the fruit of his reflections on the metaphysical issues associated with decomposition modern society and human consciousness.
1. Rapp, Losing Mind to Matter, 1973
Even glancing at the painting by the Austrian artist Otto Rapp, you want to immediately look away. Decaying human head bird cage, untouched language inside it - such a "still life" strains not only the psyche of the audience, but also causes purely physiological discomfort. One can guess what meaning the artist put into the work, but it is quite obvious - this is a truly frightening picture! And if someone dreams of a similar plot at night, then Rapp's masterful technique should be "thanked" for the nightmare.
As a rule, when we imagine pictures, wonderful landscapes and majestic portraits come to mind. However, the fine arts are multifaceted. Surely you will not have a desire to see such gloomy masterpieces in the living room of your house as these terrible paintings, which we will discuss below, but they certainly deserve your attention. So, we present to your attention a list with photographs of the ten most terrible paintings in the world. We also recommend that you familiarize yourself with the rating of the most famous artists in the world.
The Great Red Dragon and the Beast from the Sea
Artist : William Blake
Today, William Blake is a figure in the visual arts well known, for his prints and romantic poetry. However, during his lifetime, the artist's talent was never appreciated. His works are considered classics of the romantic style.
Blake wrote many watercolor paintings, depicting a large red dragon from the Book of Revelations. In this picture, a large red dragon is depicted, the personification of the devil, standing over the seven-headed sea monster.
Francis Bacon was one of the most important figures among the artists of the 20th century. His paintings have always amazed with their coldness and courage. Throughout his life, he kept returning to the portrait of Pope Innocent X, making different interpretations of this painting.
For example, the work of Velasquez depicts the Pope in a detached state, while in Bacon he is drawn screaming.
Dante's Inferno, with its images of torture, has inspired many artists since the day it was published. William-Adolf Bouguereau was one of the most famous artists of the time, who could very realistically depict classic scene. In this picture, he moves from classical calm to the circles of hell, where the main characters of the picture are constantly fighting, stealing identity from each other with a bite.
Artist : Edvard Munch
Edvard Munch is the most famous artist Norway. His painting "The Scream" is firmly entrenched in the minds of people. Artist's write this picture inspired by Jean-Paul Marat - one of the leaders of the French Revolution. Suffering from a skin disease, Marat spent most of his time in the bathroom, where he worked on his records. And in it he was killed by Charlotte Corday. The moment of Marat's death was depicted several times, but Munch's painting is particularly cruel.
severed heads
The most popular work of the artist was the painting "The Raft of the Medusa", a huge canvas painted in romantic style. Gericault set himself the task of breaking the boundaries of classicism, moving on to romanticism. These paintings marked the beginning of his work. For his work, he used the real limbs and heads of people he found in morgues and laboratories, but many recognized artists studied the dead for one single purpose: to better portray the living.
Matthias Grunewald depicted religious subjects of the Middle Ages. St. Anthony is said to have faced a test of his faith while praying in the wilderness. According to legend, the Saint was killed by demons living in a cave. Then he resurrected and destroyed them. This painting depicts Saint Anthony being attacked by demons.
Still life of masks
Emil Nolde was one of the early expressionist painters, although he was far inferior to other representatives in terms of fame. visual arts. The essence of expressionism is the depiction of reality from a subjective point of view.
Nolde painted this painting after studying masks in the Berlin Museum.
In Roman myths, usually based on Greek mythology, the father of the gods devoured his children in order to protect himself from the possibility of being overthrown from his rightful place. Goya depicted such deprivation of life on canvas. The artist who created this painting did not set himself the task of gaining popularity among the public, since it was painted on one of the walls in Francisco Goya's house, along with the same gloomy "black" paintings.
This painting is a visual representation of the story described in the Book of Judith (young water). According to legend, Holofernes was the commander of the army of Nebuchadnezzar, who invaded the territory of Judea. The Babylonians laid siege to the city of Bethulia, where the modest and fair young widow Judith lived. The townspeople no longer hoped for salvation, but Judith had a definite plan for saving the city. Having clothed his camp, in the very nice clothes and taking with her a maid, she went to the side of the enemy and earned the trust of the commander Holofernes. When one evening he fell asleep drunk, Judith cut off his head and returned to hometown. The expression of unshakable determination on the face of the servant is balanced by the unreadable look of Judith and the cry of horror of Holofernes himself.
Artist : Hieronymus Bosch
For many art lovers, Bosch is a master of the brush, specializing in depicting religious and fantasy themes. The work "Garden earthly pleasures"as if reunites into one whole: Garden of Eden, Garden of earthly delights and punishment for mortal sins. However, the real genius of this artist showed himself in displaying witty details. Bosch's creations are recognized as one of the most terrible and at the same time enchanting with their beauty in Western art.
Among the peaceful pastorals, noble portraits and other works of art that evoke only positive emotions, there are strange and shocking canvases. We have collected 15 pictures that make the audience horrified. Moreover, all of them belong to the brushes of world famous artists.
"Guernica"
One of the most famous works Pablo Picasso "Guernica" - a story about the tragedy of war and the suffering of innocent people. This work received worldwide recognition and became a reminder of the horrors of war.
"Losing mind over matter"
"Losing mind before matter" - a painting painted in 1973 Austrian artist Otto Rapp. He depicted a decaying human head, put on a bird cage, in which lies a piece of flesh.
"Dante and Virgil in Hell"
Adolphe William Bouguereau's painting Dante and Virgil in Hell was inspired by a short scene about a battle between two damned souls from Dante's Inferno.
"Suspended living Negro"
This gruesome creation by William Blake depicts a Negro slave who was hung from the gallows with a hook threaded through his ribs. The work is based on the story of the Dutch soldier Steadman - an eyewitness to such a cruel massacre.
"Hell"
Painting "Hell" German artist Hans Memling, written in 1485, is one of the most terrible artistic creations of his time. She was supposed to push people towards virtue. Memling heightened the scene's horrifying effect by adding the caption, "There is no redemption in hell."
water spirit
The artist Alfred Kubin is considered the largest representative symbolism and expressionism and is known for his dark symbolic fantasies. "The Spirit of Water" is one of such works, depicting the impotence of man in the face of the sea.
"Necronom IV"
This is a terrible creation. famous artist Hans Rudolf Giger was inspired famous movie"Stranger". Giger suffered from nightmares and all his paintings were inspired by these visions.
"Flaying Marsyas"
Created by an artist of times Italian Renaissance Titian's painting "The Flaying of Marsyas" is currently in National Museum in Kroměříž in the Czech Republic. Piece of art depicts a scene from Greek mythology where the satyr Marsyas is flayed for daring to challenge the god Apollo.
"Scream"
The cry is famous painting Norwegian expressionist Edvard Munch. The picture depicts a desperately screaming man against the background of a blood-colored sky. It is known that "The Scream" was inspired by a serene evening walk, during which Munch witnessed the blood-red setting sun.
"Gallowgate Lard"
This painting is nothing more than a self-portrait by Scottish author Ken Currie, who specializes in dark, socially realistic paintings. Curry's favorite theme is dark city life Scottish working class.
"Saturn Devouring His Son"
One of the most famous and sinister works of the Spanish artist Francisco Goya was painted on his house wall in 1820 - 1823. "Saturn devouring his son" is based on Greek myth about the titan Chronos (in Rome - Saturn), who feared that he would be overthrown by one of his children and ate them immediately after birth.
"Judith Killing Holofernes"
The execution of Holofernes was portrayed by such great artists as Donatello, Sandro Botticelli, Giorgione, Gentileschi, Lucas Cranach the Elder and many others. On painting by Caravaggio, written in 1599, depicts the most dramatic moment of this story - the decapitation.
"Nightmare"
The painting The Nightmare by the Swiss painter Heinrich Fuseli was first shown at the annual exhibition of the Royal Academy in London in 1782, where it shocked both visitors and critics.
"Massacre of the innocents"
This outstanding work art by Peter Paul Rubens, consisting of two paintings, was created in 1612, believed to have been influenced by the works of the famous Italian artist Caravaggio.
If the paintings seemed too gloomy to hang them at home, you can use one of them.
There are works of art that seem to hit the viewer on the head, dumbfounded and amazing. Others drag you into reflection and in search of semantic layers, secret symbolism. Some of the paintings are shrouded in mystery and mystical riddles, while others surprise with exorbitant prices.
We carefully reviewed all the major achievements in world painting and chose two dozen of the most strange pictures. Salvador Dali, whose works completely fall under the format of this material and are the first to come to mind, were not included in this collection intentionally.
It is clear that “strangeness” is a rather subjective concept and everyone has their own amazing pictures out of line with other works of art. We will be glad if you share them in the comments and tell us a little about them.
"Scream"
Edvard Munch. 1893, cardboard, oil, tempera, pastel.
National Gallery, Oslo.
"Scream" is considered milestone event expressionism and one of the most famous paintings in the world.
There are two interpretations of what is depicted: it is the hero himself who is seized with horror and silently screams, pressing his hands to his ears; or the hero closes his ears from the cry of the world and nature sounding around him. Munch wrote four versions of The Scream, and there is a version that this picture is the fruit of a manic-depressive psychosis from which the artist suffered. After a course of treatment at the clinic, Munch did not return to work on the canvas.
“I was walking along the path with two friends. The sun was setting - suddenly the sky turned blood red, I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned against the fence - I looked at the blood and flames over the bluish-black fjord and the city. My friends went on, and I stood, trembling with excitement, feeling the endless cry that pierces nature,” Edvard Munch said about the history of the painting.
“Where did we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?"
Paul Gauguin. 1897-1898, oil on canvas.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
At the direction of Gauguin himself, the picture should be read from right to left - the three main groups of figures illustrate the questions posed in the title.
Three women with a child represent the beginning of life; middle group symbolizes the daily existence of maturity; in the final group, as conceived by the artist, " old woman, approaching death, seems reconciled and indulged in her thoughts", at her feet "a strange White bird...represents the futility of words."
Deep philosophical picture post-impressionist Paul Gauguin was written by him in Tahiti, where he fled from Paris. At the end of the work, he even wanted to commit suicide: "I believe that this canvas is superior to all my previous ones and that I will never create something better or even similar." He lived another five years, and so it happened.
"Guernica"
Pablo Picasso. 1937, oil on canvas.
Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid.
Guernica presents scenes of death, violence, atrocities, suffering and helplessness, without specifying their immediate causes, but they are obvious. It is said that in 1940 Pablo Picasso was summoned to the Gestapo in Paris. The conversation immediately turned to the painting. "Did you do that?" - "No, you did it."
The huge fresco "Guernica", painted by Picasso in 1937, tells about the raid of the Luftwaffe volunteer unit on the city of Guernica, as a result of which the six thousandth city was completely destroyed. The picture was painted in just a month - the first days of work on the picture, Picasso worked for 10-12 hours, and already in the first sketches one could see the main idea. This is one of the best illustrations the nightmare of fascism, as well as human cruelty and grief.
"Portrait of the Arnolfinis"
Jan van Eyck. 1434, oil on wood.
London National Gallery, London.
The famous painting is completely filled with symbols, allegories and various references - up to the caption "Jan van Eyck was here", which turned the painting not just into a work of art, but into historical document, confirming the reality of the event, which was attended by the artist.
The portrait supposedly of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife is one of the most complex works Western school of painting of the Northern Renaissance.
In Russia, in the past few years, the painting has gained great popularity due to Arnolfini's portrait resemblance to Vladimir Putin.
"Demon Seated"
Mikhail Vrubel. 1890, oil on canvas.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
"Hands Resist Him"
Bill Stoneham. 1972.
This work, of course, cannot be ranked among the masterpieces of world art, but the fact that it is strange is a fact.
Around the picture with a boy, a doll and palms pressed against the glass, there are legends. From "because of this picture they die" to "the children in it are alive." The picture looks really creepy, which gives rise to a lot of fears and conjectures in people with a weak psyche.
The artist, on the other hand, assured that the picture depicts himself at the age of five, that the door is a representation of the dividing line between the real world and the world of dreams, and the doll is a guide that can lead the boy through this world. hands represent alternative lives or opportunities.
The painting gained notoriety in February 2000 when it was listed for sale on eBay with a backstory that said the painting was "haunted". "Hands Resist Him" was bought for $1,025 by Kim Smith, who was then inundated with letters from creepy stories and demands to burn the painting.
