We have a stereotype of artists as these dark, brooding, hermit types, who labor at their art alone and tormented by their own perverse genius. At the same time, we have a tendency to think of art as something “beautiful,” and are inclined to think first of lighter fare, like Monet’s Waterlilies, a colorful abstract Mondriaan, or a charming portrait like the Mona Lisa. “Beautiful” is nice and all, but sometimes you need something a little more harrowing, a little more warped, a little more… Complex, shall we say?
In the spirit of Halloween, we connected with art historian Emily Leisz Carr to find the darker underbelly of painting that reconfirms our first, more disturbed, image of artists.
Check out the ten creepiest paintings of all time.