When it comes to painting, the imagination tends to paint pastorals and stately portraits. But actually art multifaceted. It happened that very ambiguous paintings came out from under the brush of great artists, which hardly anyone wants to hang at home. In our review of the 10 scariest paintings by famous artists.
1. The great red dragon and the monster from the sea. William Blake
William Blake known today for his engravings and romantic poetry, but he was little appreciated during his lifetime. Blake's engravings and illustrations are classics of the Romantic style, but today let's take a look at the series watercolor paintings Blake, which depict a large red dragon from the book of Revelation. This painting depicts a large red dragon, which is the embodiment of the devil, which stands on a seven-headed beast in the sea.
2. Study of the portrait of Innocent X by Velázquez. Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. His paintings, striking in their boldness and gloominess, are sold for millions of dollars. During his lifetime, Bacon often painted his own interpretations of the portrait of Pope Innocent X. In Velázquez's original work, Pope Innocent X looks thoughtfully from the canvas, while Bacon portrayed him screaming.
3. Dante and Virgil in hell. Adolphe William Bouguereau
Dante's Inferno, with its depiction of horrific torture, has inspired artists since the publication of this work. Bouguereau is best known for his realistic images classic scenes, but in this painting depicted a circle of hell where the impostors are constantly fighting, stealing each other's identities through a bite.
4. Death of Marat. Edvard Munch
Edvard Munch is the most famous artist Norway. His famous painting"Scream", which personifies melancholy, tightly ingrained in the minds of any person who is not indifferent to art. Marat was one of the leading political leaders French Revolution. Since Marat suffered from a skin disease, he spent most day in the bathroom, where he worked on his works. It was there that Marat was killed by Charlotte Corday. The death of Marat was depicted by more than one artist, but Munch's painting is especially realistic and cruel.
5. Severed heads. Theodore Géricault
Most famous work Géricault is the "Raft of the Medusa" - huge picture V romantic style. Before creating major works, Géricault painted "warm-up" paintings like Severed Heads, for which he used real limbs and severed heads. The artist took similar material in morgues.
6. Temptation of St. Anthony. Matthias Grunewald
Grunewald often painted religious images in the style of the Middle Ages, although he lived during the Renaissance. Saint Anthony went through several trials of his faith while living in the wilderness. According to one legend, Saint Anthony was killed by the demons living in the cave, but later revived and destroyed them. This picture depicts Saint Anthony, who was attacked by demons.
7. Still life of masks. Emil Nolde
Emil Nolde was one of the first expressionist painters, although his fame was soon overshadowed by a number of other expressionists such as Munch. The essence of this trend is the distortion of reality in order to show a subjective point of view. This painting was made by the artist after researching the masks in the Berlin Museum.
8. Saturn devouring his son. Francisco Goya
In Roman myths, which are largely based on Greek mythology, the father of the gods devoured his own children so that they would never overthrow him from the throne. It is this act of killing children that Goya portrayed. The painting was not intended for the public, but was painted on the wall of the artist's house, along with several other grim paintings known as common name"Black painting".
9. Judith and Holofernes. Caravaggio
There is a story in the Old Testament about the brave widow Judith. Judea was attacked by an army led by the commander Holofernes. Judith left the city walls and went to the camp of the army besieging the city. There, with the help of her beauty, she seduced Holofernes. When the commander slept drunk at night, Judith cut off his head. This scene is quite popular with artists, but Caravaggio's version is particularly creepy.
10. Garden of earthly delights. Hieronymus Bosch
Usually Hieronymus Bosch associated with fantasy and religious paintings. "Garden earthly pleasures"is a triptych. The three panels of the picture respectively depict the Garden of Eden and the creation of mankind, the Garden of earthly delights and the Punishment for sins that occur in earth garden. Bosch's work is one of the most gruesome, but the most beautiful works in the history of Western art.
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 is the most terrible 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 scary picture it 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"
Painting " crying boy"written 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. The original Crying Boy has never been 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.
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 for everyone there are amazing paintings that stand out from a number of 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 picture. "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 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.
Some works of art seem to hit the viewer on the head, dumbfounded and amazing. Some of them draw you into thought and in search of semantic layers, secret symbolism. Some paintings are covered with secrets and mystical mysteries, and some surprise with an exorbitant price.
“Weirdness” is quite a subjective term, and everyone has their own amazing paintings that stand out from a number of other works of art.Edvard Munch "Scream"
1893, cardboard, oil, tempera, pastel. 91×73.5 cm
National Gallery, Oslo
The Scream is considered a landmark expressionist event and one of the most famous paintings in the world.
“I was walking along the path with two friends - the sun was setting - suddenly the sky turned blood red, I stopped, 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 piercing nature, ”said Edvard Munch about the history of the painting.
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 4 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.
Paul Gauguin "Where do we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?"
1897-1898, oil on canvas. 139.1×374.6 cm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
A deeply philosophical picture of the 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, because "I believe that this canvas is not only superior to all my previous ones, and that I will never create something better or even similar." He lived another 5 years, and so it happened.
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; the middle group symbolizes the daily existence of maturity; in the final group, according to the artist, "an old woman approaching death seems reconciled and given over to her thoughts", at her feet "a strange white bird ... represents the futility of words."
Pablo Picasso "Guernica"
1937, oil on canvas. 349×776 cm
Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid
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 of the nightmare of fascism, as well as human cruelty and grief.
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 picture. "Did you do that?" “No, you did it.”
Jan van Eyck "Portrait of the Arnolfinis"
1434, oil on wood. 81.8×59.7 cm
London National Gallery, London
The portrait, presumably of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, is one of the most complex works of the Western school of painting of the Northern Renaissance.
The famous painting is completely and completely filled with symbols, allegories and various references - up to the signature "Jan van Eyck was here", which turned it not just into a work of art, but into a historical document confirming a real event that the artist was present at.
In Russia recent years the picture gained great popularity due to the portrait resemblance of Arnolfini with Vladimir Putin.
Mikhail Vrubel "Seated Demon"
1890, oil on canvas. 114×211 cm
Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
The painting by Mikhail Vrubel surprises with the image of a demon. The sad long-haired guy is not at all like the universal ideas of what an evil spirit should look like. The artist himself spoke about his most famous painting: “The demon is not so much an evil spirit as a suffering and mournful one, with all this a domineering, majestic spirit.” This is an image of the strength of the human spirit, internal struggle, doubts. Hands clasped tragically, the Demon sits with sad, huge eyes directed into the distance, surrounded by flowers. The composition emphasizes the constraint of the figure of the demon, as if sandwiched between the upper and lower crossbars of the frame.
Vasily Vereshchagin "The Apotheosis of War"
1871, oil on canvas. 127×197 cm
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Vereshchagin is one of the main Russian battle painters, but he painted wars and battles not because he loved them. On the contrary, he tried to convey to people his negative attitude towards the war. Once Vereshchagin, in the heat of emotion, exclaimed: “More battle paintings I will not write - that's it! I take what I write too close to my heart, cry out (literally) the grief of every wounded and killed. Probably, the result of this exclamation was the terrible and bewitching painting "The Apotheosis of War", which depicts a field, crows and a mountain of human skulls.
The picture is written so deeply and emotionally that behind every skull lying in this pile, you begin to see people, their fates and the fates of those who will no longer see these people. Vereshchagin himself, with sad sarcasm, called the canvas a “still life” - it depicts “dead nature”.
All the details of the picture, including the yellow color, symbolize death and devastation. The clear blue sky emphasizes the deadness of the picture. The idea of the "Apotheosis of War" is also expressed by the scars from sabers and bullet holes on the skulls.
Grant Wood "American Gothic"
1930, oil. 74×62 cm
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago
"American Gothic" is one of the most recognizable images in American art XX century, the most famous artistic meme of the XX and XXI centuries.
The picture with a gloomy father and daughter is overflowing with details that indicate the severity, puritanism and retrogradeness of the people depicted. Angry faces, a pitchfork right in the middle of the picture, old-fashioned clothes even by the standards of 1930, an exposed elbow, seams on the farmer's clothes that repeat the shape of a pitchfork, and therefore a threat that is addressed to anyone who encroaches. All these details can be looked at endlessly and cringe from discomfort.
Interestingly, the judges of the competition at the Art Institute of Chicago perceived "Gothic" as a "humorous valentine", and the people of Iowa were terribly offended by Wood for portraying them in such an unpleasant light.
Rene Magritte "Lovers"
1928, oil on canvas
The painting "Lovers" ("Lovers") exists in two versions. On one, a man and a woman, whose heads are wrapped in a white cloth, are kissing, and on the other, they “look” at the viewer. The picture surprises and fascinates. With two figures without faces, Magritte conveyed the idea of the blindness of love. About blindness in every sense: lovers do not see anyone, we do not see their true faces, and besides, lovers are a mystery even to each other. But with this seeming clarity, we still continue to look at the Magritte lovers and think about them.
Almost all of Magritte's paintings are puzzles that cannot be completely solved, since they raise questions about the very essence of being. Magritte talks all the time about the deceitfulness of the visible, about its hidden mystery, which we usually do not notice.
Marc Chagall "Walk"
1917, oil on canvas
State Tretyakov Gallery
Usually extremely serious in his painting, Marc Chagall wrote a delightful manifesto of his own happiness, filled with allegories and love. "Walk" is a self-portrait with his wife Bella. His beloved soars in the sky and looks to be dragged into the flight and Chagall, who is standing on the ground precariously, as if touching her only with the toes of his shoes. Chagall has a tit in his other hand - he is happy, he has a tit in his hands (probably his painting), and a crane in the sky.
Hieronymus Bosch "The Garden of Earthly Delights"
1500-1510, oil on wood. 389×220 cm
Prado, Spain
"The Garden of Earthly Delights" - the most famous triptych of Hieronymus Bosch, which got its name from the theme of the central part, is dedicated to the sin of voluptuousness. To date, none of the available interpretations of the picture has been recognized as the only true one.
The enduring charm and at the same time the strangeness of the triptych lies in the way the artist expresses the main idea through many details. The picture is full of transparent figures, fantastic structures, monsters that have become hallucinations, infernal caricatures of reality, which he looks at with a searching, extremely sharp look. Some scientists wanted to see in the triptych an image of human life through the prism of its vanity and images earthly love, others - the triumph of voluptuousness. However, the innocence and some detachment with which individual figures are interpreted, as well as the favorable attitude towards this work on the part of the church authorities, make one doubt that the glorification of bodily pleasures could be its content.
Gustav Klimt "Three Ages of Woman"
1905, oil on canvas. 180×180 cm
National Gallery contemporary art, Rome
"Three Ages of Woman" is both joyful and sad. In it, the story of a woman's life is written in three figures: carelessness, peace and despair. The young woman is organically woven into the ornament of life, the old woman stands out from it. The contrast between the stylized image of a young woman and the naturalistic image of an old woman becomes symbolic meaning: the first phase of life brings with it endless possibilities and metamorphoses, the last one brings constant constancy and conflict with reality.
The canvas does not let go, it gets into the soul and makes you think about the depth of the artist's message, as well as about the depth and inevitability of life.
Egon Schiele "Family"
1918, oil on canvas. 152.5×162.5 cm
Belvedere Gallery, Vienna
Schiele was a student of Klimt, but, like any excellent student, he did not copy his teacher, but was looking for something new. Schiele is much more tragic, strange and frightening than Gustav Klimt. In his works there is a lot of what could be called pornography, various perversions, naturalism and, at the same time, aching despair.
"Family" - his latest work, in which desperation is taken to the absolute, despite the fact that this is the least strange-looking picture of him. He painted it just before his death, after his pregnant wife Edith died of a Spanish flu. He died at the age of 28 just three days after Edith, having managed to draw her, himself and their unborn child.
Frida Kahlo "The Two Fridas"
Story difficult life Mexican artist Frida Kahlo became widely known after the release of the film "Frida" with Salma Hayek in leading role. Kahlo painted mostly self-portraits and explained it simply: “I paint myself because I spend a lot of time alone and because I am the subject that I know best.”
Frida Kahlo does not smile in any self-portrait: a serious, even mournful face, fused thick eyebrows, a slightly noticeable mustache over tightly compressed lips. The ideas of her paintings are encrypted in the details, the background, the figures that appear next to Frida. The symbolism of Kahlo is based on national traditions and is closely connected with the Indian mythology of the pre-Hispanic period.
In one of the best pictures- "Two Fridas" - she expressed the masculine and feminine principles, connected in her by a single circulatory system, demonstrating her integrity.
Claude Monet Waterloo Bridge. Fog effect»
1899, oil on canvas
State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
When examining a picture from a close distance, the viewer sees nothing but a canvas, on which frequent thick oil strokes. All the magic of the work is revealed when we gradually begin to move away from the canvas to a greater distance. First, incomprehensible semicircles begin to appear before us, passing through the middle of the picture, then, we see the clear outlines of the boats and, having moved a distance of about two meters, all connecting works are sharply drawn and lined up in a logical chain in front of us.
Jackson Pollock "Number 5, 1948"
1948, fiberboard, oil. 240×120 cm
The strangeness of this picture is that the canvas of the American leader of abstract expressionism, which he painted, pouring paint over a piece of fiberboard spread out on the floor, is the most expensive picture in the world. In 2006, at the Sotheby's auction, they paid $ 140 million for it. David Giffen, a film producer and collector, sold it to Mexican financier David Martinez.
“I continue to move away from the usual tools of the artist, such as the easel, palette and brushes. I prefer sticks, shovels, knives and pouring paint or a mixture of paint and sand, broken glass or something else. When I am inside a painting, I am not aware of what I am doing. Understanding comes later. I have no fear of changing or destroying the image, because the painting lives on its own. own life. I'm just helping her get outside. But if I lose contact with the painting, it's dirty and messy. If not, then this is pure harmony, the ease of how you take and give.
Joan Miro "Man and Woman in Front of a Pile of Excrement"
1935, copper, oil, 23×32 cm
Joan Miro Foundation, Spain
Good title. And who would have thought that this picture tells us about the horrors of civil wars.
The painting was made on a sheet of copper in the week between 15 and 22 October 1935. According to Miro, this is the result of an attempt to portray the tragedy civil war in Spain. Miro said that this is a picture about a period of unrest. The painting depicts a man and a woman reaching out for each other's arms, but not moving. Enlarged genitals and ominous colors have been described as "full of revulsion and disgusting sexuality".
Jacek Jerka "Erosion"
The Polish neo-surrealist is known worldwide for his amazing pictures in which realities unite, creating new ones. It is difficult to look at his extremely detailed and to some extent touching works one by one, but such is the format of our material, and we had to choose one to illustrate his imagination and skill. We recommend to read.
Bill Stoneham "Hands Resist Him"
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 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. The hands represent alternative lives or possibilities.
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 with creepy stories and demands to burn the painting.
Artistic art can be different - beautiful and sweet, impressive or frightening, touching the soul or turning inside out. But there are several paintings in the world that no collector wants to see in his house. Pictures creepy to the point of horror and taking away souls ...
1. "Hands resisting him" (Bill Stoneham)
The painting, created by Bill Stoneham in 1972, at first glance does not look completely terrible. If you do not know that the depicted girl with a doll face is a guide to THAT world, and do not see the hands on the other side of the glass. And also not to know how many deaths it entailed.
2. "Scream" (Edvard Munch)
This picture is not in vain one of the most terrible. All the people who came into contact with her fell ill and died very soon.
3. Gallowgate Lard (Ken Curry)
self-portrait famous artist you are unlikely to want to hang over your bed. After all, seeing him awake, you can rattle in a psychiatric hospital for a long time.
4. "Still life of masks" (Emil Nolde)
The canvas of Emil Nolde in the style of expressionism rightfully occupies a place in the ranking of the most terrible paintings. They say that if you look at its original for more than 10 minutes, you can go crazy.
5. "Two old men eat soup" (Francisco Goya)
The plot from the cycle of paintings painted on the walls of Francisco Goya's house is reminiscent of nightmare. At the sight of this canvas, it really becomes creepy.
6. Severed Heads (Theodore Géricault)
The mere fact that the painting depicts real heads (the artist copied them from skulls taken from the mortuary) is horrifying.
7. "Crying Boy" (Bruno Amadio)
The plot of this picture is not scary at all. However, there is something from which many people bypass it. According to popular belief, it causes fires in the room in which it is located.
8. Water Lilies (Claude Monet)
The painting "Water Lilies" is a real masterpiece of world art. But wherever it hung, everywhere there was a fire. What is an accident? Coincidence? Or maybe it's a pattern?
9. "Venus at the Mirror" (Diego Velasquez)
Not a single art lover wants to have such a harmless picture in his collection. Belief says that if you hang it in own house, a black streak will immediately begin in the life of the owner.
10. "Rain Woman" (Svetlana Taurus)
The last painting in today's rating is the work of the Venetian artist Svetlana Taurus. She drew it back in 1996. Was able to sell only a few years later. She would be happy with the sale, but only after 2 weeks the customer returned the canvas back. The reason is the feeling of the presence of a third person in the apartment. The same thing happened with the second and the third buyer. Now the picture hangs modestly in one of the shops in Venice.
Dark pictures - Wikipedia.
