Spooky, Scary Art: 15 Blood Curdling Pieces
In keeping with the Halloween vibe of spookiness, I have rounded up a set of art pieces that will send shivers down your spine and maybe even make your teeth chatter in terror. (Side note: there are so many fun adjectives related to spookiness that it is hard to limit myself.)
I tend to be drawn to dark, mysterious, strange, and slightly disturbing art, so this is so much fun for me to share this with you! Also go check out the Halloween doodle ideas within my larger post of over 200 seasonal doodle ideas.
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Creepy, Scary Art From History
Art history is so much fun to learn – especially when you discover some of the weird stories and terrifying subject matter that is kept off of museum bags and gift store posters. Look at these scary paintings from history and imagine them making up an immersive art experience. Eek
Francisco Goya – Saturn Devouring His Son
The Nightmare – Henry Fuseli
The Garden of Earthly Delights – Hieronymus Bosch
The Ghost of a Flea – William Blake
Girl With Death Mask – Frida Kahlo
1 Saturn Devouring His Son – Francisco Goya
This Goya painting from between 1819 and 1823 is part of his “Black Paintings” series. He made the Black Series when he was in his 70’s and grappling with an agitated mental state and dark view of humanity. The eyes are what get me in this creepy painting.
2 The Nightmare – Henry Fuseli
This 1781 painting supposedly depicts both a sleeping woman (this is exactly what I look like while sleeping) and whatever she is nightmaring about. Read more about some interpretations of this painting here.
3 The Garden of Earthly Delights – Hieronymus Bosch
I can’t write a post on scary art without including The Garden of Earthly Delights by our pal Hieronymus Bosch. If you have never taken a close, long look at the third panel, do yourself a favor and peer into the mind of an artist who seems to have put a lot of thought into what Hell is like.
Related: Alarming Creatures in Medieval Art
4 The Ghost of a Flea – William Blake
Picture yourself stumbling out of the bar one night, making your way home, nary a person in sight, and this thing saunters out of the alley past you.
This beast painted by William Blake is the stuff of nightmares. According to Wikipedia, “Fantastic, spiritual art was popular in Britain from around 1770 to 1830, and during this time Blake often worked on unearthly, supernatural panels to amuse and amaze his friends.”
5 Girl With Death Mask – Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo was no stranger to suffering and exploring death as a subject in her artwork. This haunting painting of a little girl wearing the mask of death is more spooky in the idea it conveys than the painting itself. Or maybe the flower, the girl’s straightforward gaze, and blue skies emphasize the scariness. In any event, the flower and both masks are Day of the Dead motifs, but the masks come across as very life-like.
Spooky, Scary Art Today
Contemporary artists with a fascination for the scary and macabre are abundant. There are scads of artists conjuring up the deepest, darkest places they can and delighting fans of scary art everywhere. Enjoy these contemporary spooky art pieces and come back tomorrow to tell me all about the nightmares you have tonight. 👀
Our Numinous Nature
Light Beyond the Frame
Esther Limones
John Ishii
1 Our Numinous Nature
This chilling scratch art by Our Numinous Nature contains several good reasons to not venture into the forest alone at night. Click through to read a ghost story and see more cool art by Philippe Grenade-Willis.
2 Light Beyond the Frame
This creepy, ghosty digital art by Light Beyond the Frame is just one of many scary artworks on their Instagram feed. This one jumped out at me for the dreamlike, smoky atmosphere and the ghost seeming to overtake the sitting man. I’m weaving a whole story about this piece!
3 Roberto Diaz
Oh. Wow. The artwork of Roberto Diaz is an amazing mix of horror with a classical style. So disturbing, so beautiful. You will not be disappointed if you are looking to scroll lots more artwork like this piece.
4 Esther Limones
If you are a fan of the witchy, satanic, and dark art, you will enjoy Esther Limones’ digital collages. She even sells a set of Tarot cards she designed with her spooky, lovely images.
5 John Ishii
I think it’s only fitting to round out this selection of scary art with a pointillism drawing by John Ishii. Piles of eyeballs are deliciously frightening, especially with the addition of tentacle-like optic nerves ready to grab you and pull you into the mass.
