17 creepy paintings by famous artists of the past (18 photos)

Be prepared for the fact that most of the paintings presented will not make the most pleasant impression. On the other hand, it is quite possible that, on the contrary, you will like them.





Art can evoke various emotions in people: from joy and admiration to fear and disgust. And such contrasts are considered completely normal, because what seems terrible to one may be beautiful and inspiring to another. Artists of past eras were well aware of this, so they did not always strive to depict only well-known and understandable subjects on their canvases. Sometimes their fantasy took them into the incredible depths of the subconscious, where they met strange and often creepy creatures that could scare anyone.

Below you can see some of the scariest and creepiest paintings that were painted by famous artists of the past.

"The Smiling Spider" by Odilon Redon



Year of writing: 1881

It is believed that in the terrible spider with a human face, the artist depicted not only his own visions, but also ideas about evolution.

"Skull with a Burning Cigarette", Vincent Van Gogh

Year of writing: 1886

“Study for the Portrait of Pope Innocent X by Velazquez”, Francis Bacon



Year of writing: 1953

"Nightmare", Heinrich Fusli



Year of writing: 1781

With this painting, the artist decided to show the severity of nightmares and unconscious fears.

"Girl with a Death Mask", Frida Kahlo



Year of writing: 1938

There is a version that in this picture the artist depicted herself as a child.

“Night Creeping”, Zdzislaw Beksiński



Year of writing: unknown

"The Witches' Sabbath", Francisco Goya



Year of writing: 1798

"Dante and Virgil in Hell", William Bouguereau



Year written: 1850

"The Temptation of Saint Anthony" by Salvator Rosa



Year written: 1645

"The Flea's Ghost" by William Blake



Year of writing: 1820

Flight of the Witches, Francisco Goya



Year of writing: 1798

“Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan November 16, 1581”, Ilya Repin



Year written: 1885

"A car wreck that gives birth to a blind horse that bites a telephone" by Salvador Dali



Year of writing: 1938

“Portrait of Antoinette Gonzalez”, Lavinia Fontana



Year of writing: 1595

"The Electric Chair", Andy Warhol



Year of writing: 1964

"Medusa", Caravaggio



Year of writing: 1595-1598

One of the artist’s most famous works, which was made specifically for Ferdinando I de’ Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

"Skeleton Fight for Smoked Herring" by James Ensor



Year of writing: 1891