Spooky Art: Spirit by George Roux

Spirit, 1885
George Roux

I love sharing spooky art with you all! A couple of weeks ago, I saw this image come up on my Facebook feed from at least 3 different sources, and of course, I had to find out more. 

This is an oil painting by the French artist, George Roux. Roux, who was born in 1853 and died in 1929 was an artist and book illustrator. Roux is best-known for his illustrations for Jules Verne's science fiction works, but as seen in the painting above, also had a flair for the spooky and ethereal.

The painting in question is titled Spirit, and was completed in 1885. It depicts a man at work at his desk, interrupted by the ghostly sight and sound of transparent, glowing woman playing the piano. No definitive answer can be given as to who the woman is, or her relationship to the man, but he looks a tad startled! There's also no definite answer as to what melody the ghostly lady is playing. 

Spirit was purchased by a private collector in 2009, but luckily, the image is available online for everyone to see and enjoy...and speculate over! So let me know in the comments below: Who do you think the ghostly woman is, and what song is she playing on the piano? 

Copy Ghost: A Friday Funny

I don't know what it is about this image, but every time I see it, it puts a smile on my face! I hope it adds a little humor to YOUR Friday as well!  And while it's light-hearted, it does kind of reflect how I've been feeling lately, in regards to Theresa's Haunted History blog and Facebook page. I feel like I'm just posting the same ol' thing, over and over again. This blog dates back to 2011 and my original website was started in 2006, so there is actually a fair bit of content to share...but I feel like its all already been done, lol.  

I'm constantly searching for new information and new ways to keep this site fresh and relevant.  However, I also think I'll be spending quite a bit of time this year polishing up, updating, and sharing some of that older content that newer readers may not have seen yet.  But let me know---what do YOU want to see more of in 2019? Are there any specific locations or topics you'd like to see me cover?  Hop on over to my Facebook page and share your ideas! 

The Grave Digger and a Ghost

I found this image on Pinterest, and although I haven't found a ton of information about it, I loved it so much that I wanted to share!  Here's what we know:  The title is The Grave Digger and a Ghost, and the artist is a popular British characterist, George Montard Woodward.  It was completed in 1795 and is now a part of the Tate Gallery collection.  Spooky art is one of my passions and I hope to be bringing you even more paintings, sculptures, and other mediums highlighting the artistic side of the paranormal throughout 2019.  Stay spooky, ya'll!

The Black Ghost

In Lithuania, an historic seaside city is protected by an eerie statue, which literally emerges from the ocean. Known as Juodasis Vaiduoklis, or The Black Ghost, this spooky artwork is based on an old Klaipeda legend.

Photos From Apie vija and Vladas Balsys

Back in 1595, the city of Klaipeda was saved by a phantom.  It is said that one of the guards for nearby Memel Castle, Hans von Heidi, encountered the hooded ghost while patrolling the docks one night.  This particular ghost was a chatty one, and asked the guard if the city had a sufficient grain and timber supply.  The guard replied that indeed, the town was fairly well supplied. However, the ghost predicted that the supply would soon run low, and urged the city to beef up their stock.  The mysterious phantom then vanished into the mist.

The city apparently took this warning seriously and took extra steps to ensure that their supply was truly sufficient.  As a result, the people were able to ride out the impending famine and the city became the third largest in Lithuania, its people prospering.

The Black Ghost statue is the work of Svajunas Jurkus and Sergejus Plotnikovas.  It stands at almost 8 feet tall and is made of bronze. It was installed in 2010, and I'm pretty sure it tops the list of most photographed items in town!

More Information: My Modern Met

Castle of the Dead

I LOVE sharing artwork with a supernatural/paranormal theme to it here on Theresa's Haunted History.  Therefore, when I stumbled across this image, I knew it needed to find a home here on my blog.  It's a striking piece of work, complete with full moon, spooky house, and a graveyard full of rising souls.

The name of this piece is Castle of the Dead, and its not exactly what it might look like at first glance.  It isn't a painting or drawing.  It isn't a print of such. It isn't even a digital work of art, per se.  This image is actually a do-it-yourself square diamond painting by the company Pretty Neat Creative!  For about $30, you can buy a kit to make this creation for yourself.  You'll need a little bit of patience, as each 'pixel' of this image is created by gluing a bunch of tiny resin dots to a pattern. 

That seems pretty, um...neat and pretty creative! I'm not a very artistic or crafty person, and even I think that I can have fun with this and make something really spooky and cool to leave on my wall all year long.