Hexenritt

 

Happy Tuesday! Today's blog is a quickie---I just wanted to share this beautiful piece of witchy art with everyone.  The title of this painting is Hexenritt, translated to Witches' Ride. It was completed around 1875 by German artist, Carl Spitzweg. 

I hope your week has started out strong and continues to get better and better. And don't forget to take a few minutes to appreciate the arts---the creepier the better!

Charleston's Mortar Man: Weird Wednesday

My attempt at photographing Mortar Man

Along Capitol Street in Charleston, WV there sits a mysterious little man.  Every day, people walk right past the Mortar Man, never even noticing he's there.  But, to those who DO know where to look, Mortar Man has become a local celebrity....and a local legend.

For years, mystery shrouded the tiny figure.  Located 12 feet above the ground, tucked into a corner of brick between two buildings, and measuring in at only 2 inches by 4 inches, its no wonder that so many people never noticed the Mortar Man.  For those who did know of the tiny little figure, now referred to as West Virginia's smallest piece of public art, stories abounded as to how the figure got there, who created him, and of course...WHY.  Was Mortar Man some sort of protector or guardian?  Was he a supernatural creature?  Or was he just someone's idea of a joke?

Turns out, the Mortar Man is the creation of local sculptor, P. Joseph Mullins, best known for work on the Veterans Memorial at the State Capitol Complex.  30 years ago, Mullins was working on the facade of a historic building.  During a lunch break, he took some leftover building materials and sculpted the little fella.  Apparently it took three years before a police officer noticed the figure and people started wondering what the heck was going on! 

Much clearer photo, by Craig Poole

Over the years, Mortar Man has become a favorite with both locals and tourists who have heard of the strange little figure.  When renovations to the building led to the removal of Mortar Man, people threw such a fit that he was replaced.  At one point, someone even tried to steal him!

Luckily, Mortar Man is still holding his ground on Capitol Street.  Go to #108 Capitol Street.  To the left of the building, between its facade and the neighboring building, look straight up about 12 feet.  He's hard to see, but if you're lucky, you'll catch a glimpse of this magical little piece of art history, right here in the Mountain State!

Links for more information:
Mortar Man Facebook
Atlas Obscura
WOWK Article by Craig Poole

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.

The Suicide of Judas: Demonic Art

Welcome to another day of Demon Week here at Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State! I love to incorporate weird, supernatural art into my posts, so when I stumbled upon this image, I knew instantly that I wanted to included it into this week's theme.The oil painting, called The Suicide of Judas, was completed around 1491 by Italian artist, Giovanni Canavesio.

It depicts the suicide of Judas Iscariot following his betrayal of Jesus Christ in a rather...stylized?...way.  Apparently, when sinners die, the soul (which is a tiny, well-groomed, naked version of our outer body) is plucked from our chest cavity by a hairy little demon, not much bigger than our naked soul baby.

This is a pretty horrifying image today; I cannot imagine how much of an impact it must have had in the 15th century.  While the demon/devil isn't necessarily depicted as too ghastly, its still a disturbing enough image to make me rethink sinning!

The Suicide of Judas can found in the Chapel of Notre-Dame des Fontaines, near La Brigue, along with Canavesio's other religious works.  And just a quick note:  Obviously this is a historical piece chosen for its demon imagery, but it is in no way intended to make light of the very serious suicide problem we are facing today.  Depression affects people from every walk of life, and suicide touches our young, our celebrities, our veterans, our marginalized communities, and everyone in between---many whom you would never know by simply looking at them.  Be good to each other and reach out to those who might be struggling.  Stay spooky---and catch me over at Theresa's Haunted History Facebook page for more demonic posts throughout the week!

Richard T. Cooper's Otherworldly Art

According to HorrorPedia, Richard Tennant Cooper was an obscure British artist whose metaphorical phantasmic paintings show the negative effects of both disease and medical cures on the human body. Born in 1885 and leaving this life in 1957, there isn't a whole lot known about Cooper, but he's left behind a legacy of REALLY creepy paintings with a paranormal element.  

I've chosen to highlight this particular watercolor completed around 1912.I can't figure out if it has no title, and just a description...or if the description is just a really long title, lol. Either way, the painting is known as "A sickly female invalid sits covered up on a balcony overlooking a beautiful view, death (a ghostly skeleton clenching a scythe and an hourglass) is standing next to her.”

I specifically chose a painting with a tuberculosis theme to it because of the idea that the disease itself has such a link to paranormal phenomenon. Over the years, TB, or consumption, was mistaken for vampirism, such as with the case of Mercy Brown. And, as many paranormal enthusiasts will attest, Kentucky's Waverly Hills, a former TB hospital, is one of the most haunted locations in the country.  Before the discovery of penicillin as an effective way to combat TB, a common 'treatment' at Waverly Hills and other TB sanitariums was giving the patient plenty of fresh air. Large balconies filled with patient beds were a staple in these places, despite the outside temperatures.  Cooper seems to have beautifully, and creepily, captured a young woman waiting for the inevitable death sentence that so often accompanied a TB diagnosis in those early days.

To see more of Cooper's work, please check out the HorrorPedia article linked above. 

Real-life balcony. Source

Weird Art Wednesday: Franz Sedlacek's Gespenster Auf Dem Baum

Austrian artist, Franz Sedlacek, led a seemingly normal life for the most part. He was born in 1891, went to college, served in WWI, finished school, got married, and had a couple of daughters. However, he belonged to an artistic movement known as New Objectivity, which, according to Wikipedia, was quite similar to Magical Realism. And, its easy to see from much of his artwork that something was a little....different...in his creativity.

Sedlacek wasn't always a painter. In fact, he was trained as a chemist and started his art career drawing humorous cartoons, which led to a stint in graphic art and design. It wasn't until later that he would concentrate on oil painting, and would create some REALLY awesome and REALLY strange paintings.

Out of Sedlacek's spookier works, I felt an immediate draw to this painting, completed in 1933. The name of the painting is Gespenster Auf Dem Baum, which translates to The Ghosts on the Tree.

Sedlacek is said to have died in 1945 when he 'disappeared' in Poland while serving in WWII, although he wasn't legally declared dead until decades later. You can read more about Franz Sedlacek on his official website.

Detail of 'ghosts'

Satan's Pet Shop

It's Friday...ready for a funny? I am; this has been a stressful week! But, as stressed out as I feel, I can take comfort in the fact that I don't have to clean out the litter box belonging to THIS thing:

I've seen this posted on a couple of different Facebook pages this week and of course, curiosity got the better of me and I did a reverse image search to find out where this strange piece of art originated. Turns out, this is an image by artist Omar Rayyan entitled 'The Favorite,' (2010). The original oil painting has been sold, but if you'd like to have this hanging on YOUR wall, you can order a print from the artist's Etsy Store starting at $7!

Weird Vocabulary: Anasyrma

What the heck is going on in this picture? Read below to find out everything you've ever wanted to know about the phenomenon known as Anasyrma!

According to a Wikipedia article, "Anasyrma is effectively “the exposing of the genitals.” This is a form of exhibitionism found in religion or artwork, rather than a display for arousal, and it always refers to the act of a woman exposing herself. The act of lifting up one’s skirt to display the genitals can be an apotropaic device."

Back during Vampire Week on the blog, we talked about how 'Apotropaic' is a word generally used to mean something that wards off demons and other evil spirits, but is often used to describe the various methods of stopping a vampire. Technically, it is defined as "preventing or intended to prevent evil," and comes from the Greek word apotropaios, meaning turning away from evil. 

I haven't really found out a whole lot of information about WHY or HOW showing one's genitals can scare away evil, but the Wiki article cited above does mention the idea that women are the ones who GIVE life, and thus, are the ones that can TAKE life, and the genital area symbolizes that giving of life. Examples exist in many cultures of women warding off evil, natural disasters, and other unpleasantness by simply lifting their skirts. An article by Yvonne Owens, PhD, contains an excellent assortment of photographs, examples of apotropaic vulva magic, and a deeper understanding of how flashing the lady bits seems the scare the hell out of men (and demons, storms, etc.). 

Whatever the reason behind this behavior, this image is a plate from Jean de La Fontaine's Nouveaux Contes (1674), and depicts a demon repulsed by the sight of a woman lifting her skirt.

So...the next time you're faced with a potentially malevolent entity or demonic haunting, you've got another option for combating the evil!

Bonus Vocabulary: Sheela-Na-Gig

A Sheela-Na-Gig is a figurative carving dating back to the Middle Ages. Primarily found in Ireland, Great Britain, France and Spain, these little cathedral and church carvings depict a nude woman exposing a (usually) exaggerated vulva/vagina area. Like many similar carvings, such as grotesques and gargoyles, these are meant to ward off evil, bad spirits, demons, and even death. 

Sheela-Na-Gig on Church
Kilpeck, Herefordshire
Source: Wikipedia

Weird Art: Saint Wolfgang and the Devil

Every once in awhile I like to inject a little culture into the blog by sharing some interesting and strange art that has a paranormal twist! Today's offering is a painting by Michael Pacher entitled, Saint Wolfgang and the Devil (ca. 1475). 

This painting originally appeared as an altar piece in a church located at St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut, Austria. Legend states that St. Wolfgang founded the first church in this area by throwing an axe down a mountain and building where it landed. And, as this painting depicts, St. Wolfgang even tricked the Devil himself into helping with the building labor. The Devil was promised the first living being to set foot in the church in exchange for his work.  Unfortunately for the Devil, an expected human 'offering' actually turned out to be a wolf! Pacher's work shows the Devil trying to argue his case with the soon-to-be Saint who just swindled him. 

Today, this piece is on display at Alte Pinakothek in Munich. 

*If you're wondering why the Devil has an extra face below the belt, please see my blog entry on the Osculum Infame, otherwise known as the Kiss of Shame*

Madam Violet, Vampire Queen

Welcome, October! It's the start of a new month and a new beginning---another chance to play catch-up on this poor, neglected blog, lol. It's been a crazy few days with my son having surgery AND a birthday party in the same week, plus all sorts of other stuff, like t-ball, swim lessons, etc. I promise that I will be cranking out Day 2 and Day 3 of the Mothman Festival blogs soon, but I thought I'd go ahead and share this creepy photo I found floating around on Facebook!

Whenever this frightening lady makes an appearance on social media, she's usually accompanied by the caption of "Madam Violet, the queen of the notoriously dark Edinburgh vampire hive. Voted twice as the scariest woman in England."

I can't attest to whether there really ever was an Edinburgh vampire hive or not, but even if there was...this photo does NOT show its queen. Instead, what looks like a late Victorian era photograph of a human woman is actually...

...a piece of art! As part of the 2008 series, Storydress II, this unique image was created by Christine Elfman. The photos in the series, including this one of 'Madam Violet,' are albumen prints pasted to antique cabinet cards for a very realistic touch.  But who is 'Madam Violet,'??? In this case, Madam Violet is none other than a paper mache and plaster sculpture!

For more info on this photograph and how it was made, please see Christine Elfman's WEBSITE.

The Ghost Dog Painting

Animal lovers the world over cannot help but be touched by this painting which appears to show a forlorn little girl and the ghostly image of her deceased dog, still loyal and comforting even from beyond the grave.

The portrait speaks to man's love and devotion to our canine companions and their loyalty and unconditional love. It's a touching image...almost bittersweet...which reminds us that our furry friends never truly leave us, in spirit or in memory.

So profound is the image, that it is constantly used over and over again to illustrate articles and websites dealing with the subjects of lost pets, grief in dealing with that loss, and even more paranormal topics, such as ghost animals.

It's a beautiful image alright...but not exactly what the original artist had in mind!

The image above is a digital manipulation of a painting by Briton Riviere called Sympathy.  As you can see in the original (to the right), the 'ghost' dog isn't a see-through apparition at all, but a real, living dog.  It was painted in 1877 and according to the artist, the little girl is modeled after his own daughter, Millicent, while the dog, a bull terrier, was owned by a man who often supplied the artist with dogs. The subject is of a little girl who was sent in disgrace to sit on the stairs while her pet dog came up to comfort her.

It wasn't until 2007 or 2008 that someone using the name LissiS uploaded the digitally enhanced 'ghost' dog image to Worth1000.com, an image alteration and contest website, and a whole new audience was found for this wonderful painting.


More strange, spooky, and creepy art from Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State!

The Polish Wedding Chairs

THE LEGEND:

 "These chairs were laid out for a wedding in 1939 in Poland. The wedding was abandoned, and so were the chairs due to the German invasion. They were found again after the war with the trees growing through them. Every year they are repainted."

THE FACTS: 

You might have seen this viral image floating around the web, and its definitely an interesting image to say the least. It really plays on our emotions of how sudden and tragic the Nazi invasion of Poland and other countries was, and how it so deeply affected so many families' way of life. Lives were put on hold and other lives were lost.  However, like so many other viral images, this one joins the ranks of The Last House Standing, The Buckley Family Murder, and The Death Rose as very real images...but with very made-up back stories!

This image does not portray a testament to what is left behind after the people are gone, but rather is a statement of the artistic juxtaposition of trees (who are always standing) and seating. It is one of several similar art installations by Patrick Demazeau.  This particular work from 2001 is entitled "The Four Seasons of Vivaldi" and can be found in Belgium. 

More information:

Snopes Article

Patrick Demazeau's Official Site

Facts About Polish Weddings

Death Looking into the Window of One Dying

Today's blog post is a short one, but its the first of several similar postings that I hope to share with you throughout the year.  The topic is strange, creepy, and spooky art...of course, with a paranormal flair to it! 

The painting below is entitled Death Looking into the Window of One Dying (1900) by Czech artist, Jaroslav Panuska. Panuska was born in 1872 and died in 1958, and while many of his paintings are mundane landscape-type scenes, a handful are rather unique and arguably downright creepy!  For more of these creepy works by Panuska, please check out the Monster Brains blog!