#bill stoneham

[tyger-land]

[dagerlin]

Bill Stoneham

The procedure

Science Fiction Age v04n05 1996

[franki-lew-yo]

The Cursed Ebay picture deserves better coverage and respect

If you've been in online spooky-circles at all you recognize the image and probably the name "The Hands Resist Him" by Bill Stoneham.

The story behind it is a tale old as time; and by that I mean a curse. It was painted by Bill Stoneham years ago and was purchased by a hollywood man who then passed away and the picture was auctioned off on ebay -> the people who bought it reported having nightmares and their young daughter thinking the boy and girl in the painting came out to harm her at night. At which point it spread all over the place and the warning that just looking at this picture was cursing you.

I love me some spooky-sinister art history-stories. I'm not going to lie and say there's nothing creepy about this painting. I mean...we have EYES. And yet when you read about it and it's sequels from Stoneham's websites and so also read his intent it's really hard being all that scared of it myself. And yes Stoneham is still painting and made more to the series:

Stoneham's intention of the paintings, being an embarkment into his own creativity and imagination is fascinating. When you learn that's all there is, the atmosphere of the paintings doesn't get less creepy, but it does feel less sinister- more like a dadaesque dream of the subconscious where you're never quite comfortable, but also where you know nothing can really happen or hurt you. A lucid dream almost. The scariest pic, I think, is his last in the series which he called "What Remains", which implies that both the boy and the doll have rotted away.

And yet, even with that bookend, I'd hardly call this the most disturbing art or stories behind art I've ever heard. Not by a long shot.

In my eyes "Man Proposes, God Disposes", "Raft of the Medusa" and ANY of Francisco Goya's black paintings top "Hands Resist Him", simply because of the layout, intensity of the scenes and the history behind them. Really want one of those art history youtubers I watch to do a proper video on "Man Proposes, God Disposes"; it's so disturbing with or without the knowledge of Franklin's Lost Expedition.

Even then I'd hardly call this series even the scariest in surrealist art. Frida Kahlo's self portraits are more distressing to me, and it's not like it's Zdzislaw Bekinski.

What Bill Stoneham deserves is at least his own wikiArt page. It's inexcusable that he doesn't have one already.

[pmamtraveller]

THE HANDS RESIST HIM (1972) by BILL STONEHAM

It's said that this painting is cursed. In FEBRUARY 2000, it showed up on EBAY, and the seller who found it said that the kids in the painting would come to life at night. They said that the seller put a camera in the painting and saw the boy crawl out of it. Of course, there's no proof of this.

The painting shows a boy and a doll infront of a glass-paneled door, with numerous hands pressing against it. STONEHAM states that the boy is derived from a photograph of him at the age of five.

The opening of the door symbolizes the transition from the waking world to the realm of imagination and fantasy, and the doll acts as a guide to guide the boy through this transition. Each of the titular hands symbolizes an alternative life or potential life.

[museoweb]

Bill Stoneham - The Hands Resist Him - 1972

[the-uncanny-dag]

The Hands Will (Not) Resist Him

@strawberry-nightmare is a great artist & horror animator, Corpse Husband has the best voice for creepypasta narration & metal, and I think they look neat in 1 picture 🍓🐰🌑✋

[x-heesy]

Bill Stoneham Bɪʟʟ (Wɪʟʟɪᴀᴍ) Sᴛᴏɴᴇʜᴀᴍ ɪs ᴀɴ Aᴍᴇʀɪᴄᴀɴ ᴀʀᴛɪsᴛ ᴡʜᴏ ɢᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ғᴀᴍᴇ ғᴏʀ ʜɪs ᴘᴀɪɴᴛɪɴɢ Tʜᴇ Hᴀɴᴅs Rᴇsɪsᴛ Hɪᴍ. Tʜᴇ ᴘᴀɪɴᴛɪɴɢ ʜᴀs ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴀ ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴜʀʙᴀɴ ʟᴇɢᴇɴᴅ ᴀɴᴅ Iɴᴛᴇʀɴᴇᴛ ᴍᴇᴍᴇ. Bɪʟʟ Sᴛᴏɴᴇ ᴡᴀs ʙᴏʀɴ ɪɴ 1947 ɪɴ Bᴏsᴛᴏɴ, Mᴀssᴀᴄʜᴜsᴇᴛᴛs, USA. Aғᴛᴇʀ sᴘᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀsᴛ ɴɪɴᴇ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜs ᴏғ ʜɪs ʟɪғᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ sʜᴇʟᴛᴇʀ, ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴀᴅᴏᴘᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ ʜɪs ғᴏsᴛᴇʀ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛs, ᴡʜᴏ ɢᴀᴠᴇ ʜɪᴍ ʜɪs ʟᴀsᴛ ɴᴀᴍᴇ, Sᴛᴏɴᴇʜᴀᴍ. Lɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ɪs ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʜɪs ʀᴇᴀʟ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛs, ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜɪs ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ’s ɴᴀᴍᴇ ᴡᴀs Mɪʟʟᴇʀ. Bᴇᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ ᴀɴ ᴀʀᴛɪsᴛ, Wɪʟʟɪᴀᴍ ᴀᴘᴘʟɪᴇᴅ ʜɪs sᴋɪʟʟs ɪɴ ᴠᴀʀɪᴏᴜs ғɪᴇʟᴅs ᴏғ ᴛʜɪs ᴀᴄᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ: ʜᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪᴍᴀɢᴇs ғᴏʀ ɢᴀᴍᴇs, ɪʟʟᴜsᴛʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʙᴏᴏᴋs, ᴇᴛᴄ. Tʜᴇ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ғᴀᴍᴇ ʜᴇ ʙʀᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ʙʀᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴀᴛ ᴀᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ E-ʙᴀʏ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ „Tʜᴇ Hᴀɴᴅs Rᴇsɪsᴛ Hɪᴍ“ ​​(Hᴀɴᴅs ʀᴇsɪsᴛ ʜɪᴍ), ᴅᴜᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴠᴇɴᴛs ᴀssᴏᴄɪᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɪᴛ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ɪᴛs ᴄᴜsᴛᴏᴍᴇʀs. Iɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ ᴘᴏʀᴛʀᴀʏᴇᴅ ʜɪᴍsᴇʟғ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɢᴇ ᴏғ ғɪᴠᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴛᴏ ʜɪs ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ sɪsᴛᴇʀ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴀɴ ᴏʟᴅ ᴘʜᴏᴛᴏɢʀᴀᴘʜ. Oɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀsᴛ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʀᴛɪsᴛ’s ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ᴍᴀᴊᴏʀ ᴏᴡɴᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʀᴛ ʜɪsᴛᴏʀɪᴀɴ, ᴡʜᴏ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴘᴀssᴇᴅ ᴀᴡᴀʏ. Wʜᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ᴄᴏɪɴᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏʀ ᴡʜᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs sᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʀᴇᴀsᴏɴs, ᴡɪʟʟ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ʀᴇᴍᴀɪɴ ᴀ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ. Tʜᴇ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴘᴜᴛ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪᴄ ɪɴ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇxʜɪʙɪᴛɪᴏɴ ʜᴀʟʟs. Mᴇɴᴛᴀʟʟʏ ᴜɴʙᴀʟᴀɴᴄᴇᴅ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ, sᴇᴇɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs ᴄᴀɴᴠᴀs, ʟᴏsᴛ ᴄᴏɴsᴄɪᴏᴜsɴᴇss, ʙᴇɢᴀɴ ᴛᴏ ᴄʀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇᴀᴛ ɪɴ ʜʏsᴛᴇʀɪᴄs. Aғᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜɪs, ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʀᴛɪsᴛ’s ᴡᴏʀᴋ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴠᴇʀʏ ғᴀᴍᴏᴜs. Tʜᴇ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴀᴄǫᴜɪʀᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴀᴄᴛᴏʀ Jᴏʜɴ Mᴀʀʟᴇʏ, ᴡʜᴏ ᴅɪᴇᴅ ɪɴ 1984. Aғᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ, ᴀ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴡᴀs ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴀᴍᴏɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘɪʟᴇs ᴏғ ɢᴀʀʙᴀɢᴇ. Oɴᴇ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ, ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ’s ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ, ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ɪᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ʙʀᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ɪᴛ ʜᴏᴍᴇ. Aɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɴ - ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ ᴍᴏᴠɪᴇ - ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇʀᴏᴇs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ʙᴇɢᴀɴ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴠᴇ ᴀᴛ ɴɪɢʜᴛ. Lᴇɢᴇɴᴅs ɢᴏ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪs: ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴇʀʏ ғɪʀsᴛ ɴɪɢʜᴛ, ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ғᴏᴜʀ-ʏᴇᴀʀ-ᴏʟᴅ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ʀᴜɴɴɪɴɢ ɪɴᴛᴏ ʜᴇʀ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛs‘ ʙᴇᴅʀᴏᴏᴍ, sʜᴏᴜᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ғɪɢʜᴛɪɴɢ. Tʜᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ ɴɪɢʜᴛ, sʜᴇ sᴀɪᴅ sʜᴇ sᴀᴡ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴏᴜᴛsɪᴅᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴏʀ. Tʜᴇ ᴘᴀɪɴᴛɪɴɢ ᴡᴀs ᴇxʜɪʙɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ᴀɴ ᴏɴʟɪɴᴇ ᴀᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ sɪᴛᴇ ᴇBᴀʏ ᴀɴᴅ sᴜʙsᴇǫᴜᴇɴᴛʟʏ sᴏʟᴅ. Tʜᴇ ʟᴀsᴛ ᴏᴡɴᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴘᴀʀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀs Kɪᴍ Sᴍɪᴛʜ, ᴡʜᴏ ʟɪᴠᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴀ sᴍᴀʟʟ ᴛᴏᴡɴ ɴᴇᴀʀ Cʜɪᴄᴀɢᴏ. Hᴏᴡᴇᴠᴇʀ, ᴏᴜᴛsɪᴅᴇʀs ᴛʀɪᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪssᴜᴀᴅᴇ ʜɪᴍ ʙʏ sᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ʟᴇᴛᴛᴇʀs ᴛᴏ ʜɪᴍ ᴀɴᴅ sᴛᴏʀɪᴇs ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴠɪʟ ᴇᴍᴀɴᴀᴛɪɴɢ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ. Hᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴏғғᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sᴇʀᴠɪᴄᴇs ᴏғ Eᴅ ᴀɴᴅ Lᴏʀʀᴀɪɴᴇ Wᴀʀʀᴇɴ, ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴀs ᴛʜᴇ Exᴏʀᴄɪsᴛ ᴏғ ᴅᴇᴍᴏɴs ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ Aᴍɪᴛᴠɪʟʟᴇ Hᴏᴜsᴇ ɪɴ 1979. Tʜᴇ ғᴀᴛᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀᴍɴᴇᴅ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ, ᴀʟᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ᴜɴᴋɴᴏᴡɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs ɴᴏ ᴅᴏᴜʙᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏʟʟᴇᴄᴛᴏʀ ᴋᴇᴇᴘs ɪᴛ ᴀᴛ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪs ᴡᴀɪᴛɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇsᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇs ғᴏʀ ɪᴛ ᴀɴᴅ, ᴏғ ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ, ғᴏʀ ᴀ ʀɪsᴇ ɪɴ ᴘʀɪᴄᴇ. Aʟᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ɪᴛ ᴅᴏᴇs ɴᴏᴛ sᴛᴏᴘ ᴛʜʀᴏᴡɪɴɢ ʟᴇᴛᴛᴇʀs ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴍᴇ ɪᴛs ᴠɪᴄᴛɪᴍs ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇsᴀʟᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ Iɴᴛᴇʀɴᴇᴛ. Usᴇʀs, ᴡʜᴏ ᴀᴄᴄᴏʀᴅɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ sᴛᴀᴛɪsᴛɪᴄs ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ʜᴜɴᴅʀᴇᴅs, ʜᴏᴘᴇ ᴛᴏ ғɪɴᴅ ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴇ ɪғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀɴᴠᴀs sᴛɪʟʟ ʙᴜʀɴs. Aᴘᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛʟʏ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ ᴏʀ ᴜɴᴘʟᴇᴀsᴀɴᴛ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢs ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇs ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴏʀᴍᴇʀ ᴏᴡɴᴇʀs ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴇ ᴏғ ᴍɪɴᴅ, ᴍᴏʀᴇᴏᴠᴇʀ, ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ɪs ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ғᴀᴛᴇs, ᴘᴇʀʜᴀᴘs ᴛʜᴇʏ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ ᴏғғ ᴀs ᴏғᴛᴇɴ ᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴘᴀssᴇᴅ ғʀᴏᴍ ʜᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀɴᴅ. Iᴛ ɪs ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴏʀ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀɪɴᴛɪɴɢ ɪs ᴀʟɪᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇs ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ʜɪs ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ɪɴ Oᴀᴋʟᴀɴᴅ, Cᴀʟɪғᴏʀɴɪᴀ. Aɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴏғ ʜɪs ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ Iɴᴛᴇʀɴᴇᴛ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇs ᴛᴏ ɢᴀɪɴ ғᴀɴs. Nᴇᴛɪᴢᴇɴs ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴᴘʟᴇᴀsᴀɴᴛ ᴠɪᴇᴡɪɴɢ ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄᴇ ɪs ᴄᴏɴsᴛᴀɴᴛʟʏ ᴘʀᴇsᴇɴᴛ. Eᴠᴇɴ ᴊᴜsᴛ ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ, I ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴜʀɴ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ǫᴜɪᴄᴋʟʏ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏʏ’s ɢᴀᴢᴇ. Yᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ᴅᴏ ɪᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀsᴇʟғ ᴀɴᴅ sᴇᴇ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜʀsᴇʟғ.

[arinewman7]

I did a previous post on this in hopes that someone would be familiar with it. I have had 8 jpegs of this painting for years. It is one of the creepiest feelings I have ever gotten from a painting. (see previous post) I HAVE SEARCHED FOR INFO ABOUT THIS CREEPY PAINTING FOR YEARS. TONIGHT, I FOUND AN INTERESTING LINK AND INFO IN THE APOLLO NEWSLETTER: This ‘haunted’ painting has been terrifying people for decades Fernando Alfonso III— Oct 31, 2013 at 07:31GMT-5 | Last updated Feb 24 at 20:01GMT-6 When Bill Stoneham based a painting on a childhood photo, he had no idea what he was unleashing. The photograph Bill Stoneham’s parents took of him when he was 5 years old wasn’t worth a thousand words. It was worth a million nightmares. At the time, Stoneham’s father was in advertising and did quite a bit of traveling. The family was staying at his grandmother’s apartment in Chicago to save money. The place was so small, Stoneham was forced to sleep on a mat in a closet filled with dresses, coats, and hats. “It was like not being in a room at all,” Stoneham told the Daily Dot. “It was like being an article of clothing.” Stoneham regularly played outside with one of the girls from the neighborhood. During one of these occasions, his parents had both kids pose in front of a glass door for a photograph. They couldn’t have known that, two decades later, Stoneham would transform the mundane childhood photo into a terrifying painting that has become the stuff of Internet legend. It is called “The Hands Resist Him,” and since Stoneham finished the work in 1974, three people associated with it have died. Countless followers of 4chan’s paranormal portal /x/, Reddit’s r/creepy, Encyclopedia Dramatica’s creepypasta wiki, and other corners of the Web devoted to the unsettling and unexplainable truly believe the painting is haunted. “I still refuse to look at/study this picture more than like, five seconds,” jupiknight wrote on Reddit on Aug. 23. “It creeps me the f**k out.” “I actually purchased a print of this painting from his website. I put in on display in my living room and man that thing made everyone who saw it uncomfortable,” snoos_my_dog added. “People actually would stop coming over because of it. I ended up taking it down due to popular demand, and now its under a cloth in my jampad.” This is the story of how “The Hands Resist Him” went from a photograph of an innocent childhood moment to an image that haunts the Internet’s collective nightmares. The year was 1972, and Stoneham’s first wife Rhoann had just penned a poem called “Hands Resist Him.” It was about Stoneham’s experience of being adopted and never knowing his biological siblings. At the time, the couple lived in California. Stoneham was under contract with gallery owner Charles Feingarten to produce two paintings a month, for a fee of $200 each. With his next deadline looming, Stoneham seized upon his wife’s poem and that 20-year-old photo from Chicago for inspiration. “The hands were all of the possibilities,” Stoneham explained. “You were left with the question, ‘Are these disembodied hands? Are they dismembered, floating there in space? Or are they connected to bodies?’” Stoneham wrapped up his contract in 1974 with a large gallery show put on by Feingarten. There, “The Hands Resist Him” was purchased by actor John Marley, famous for his role as the movie producer in The Godfather—the character most people remember for a scene where he wakes up to find a severed horse’s head in his bed. That gallery show also led to the painting’s first press mention: a review in the Los Angeles Times by noted art critic Henry Seldis. Between 1978 and 1984, three of the men closest to “The Hands Resist Him” died: Seldis in 1978, Feingarten in 1981, and Marley in 1984—although he actually sold the painting before he passed. It would be another 26 years before Stoneham heard of his painting again. Unbeknownst to him, it had been abandoned behind a California brewery turned art space. In 2000, the painting resurfaced in a listing on eBay. The family selling it wrote a horror story of a product description that reads like something out of a bad Stephen King knockoff: “WHEN WE RECEIVED THIS PAINTING, WE THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY GOOD ART,” the eBay seller wrote. “AT THE TIME WE WONDERED A LITTLE WHY A SEEMINGLY PERFECTLY FINE PAINTING WOULD BE DISCARDED LIKE THAT. ( TODAY WE DON’T !!! ) ONE MORNING OUR 4 AND 1/2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER CLAIMED, THAT THE CHILDREN IN THE PICTURE WERE FIGHTING, AND COMING INTO THE ROOM DURING THE NIGHT.” The father of this young girl set up a motion-sensitive camera in her room to show his daughter there was nothing to be afraid of. Instead, he saw the boy crawl from the painting. “The last two pictures purport to show the doll coming to life and using a ‘gun’ held in her hand to force the boy to leave the painting,” the BBC reported in 2002. These details proved to be a huge draw for buyers. The eBay listing was viewed more than 30,000 times. Some of these viewers even complained to the seller about experiencing supernatural occurrences after merely visiting the listing. “One reported hearing an exorcist-type voice, along with a blast of hot air,” the Spokane (Wash.) Spokesman-Review reported. “Another reported that he became ill while viewing the painting and had to burn white sage to cleanse his house afterward. Another reported ‘blackout/mind control experiences.'” By the time the painting was sold to gallery owner Kim Smith for $1,025, its legend had spread across the Internet. A month after the eBay auction ended, Smith spoke with paranormal website surfingtheapocalypse.com about life after purchasing what had become known as “the haunted eBay painting.” “I wish I could report a bizarre happening or mind possession type of thing, but the unusual things started happening with the first email and counting,” Smith said in 2000. “Prayers and quotes from the scriptures from a man of faith. Advice as how to cleanse my residence of this evil thing from a Native American Shaman in Mississippi. Reports of people being repulsed, made physically ill, or suffering from a black out/mind control experiences.” Today, the painting rests in a storage pocket in Smith’s gallery in Grand Rapids, Mich. Documentary filmmaker Gregg Gibbs has been in Grand Rapids since Tuesday, filming a documentary on the history of the painting. A feature film by director Darren Kyle O’Neill is also in the works, but the status of the project is unclear. Smith, now 61, has only been asked to show the painting six times. One of the most memorable occasions was in 2007, when about a dozen men, ranging in age from 14 to 60, came in to see it. “Twenty seconds passed, and just silence,” Smith said. “And then someone said, ‘that’s creepy.’” Smith recently received a low six-figure offer for the painting, but turned it down. “Nothing has ever been to the point where I consider serious,” he said. “It’s kind of got it’s own mystique that’s growing here.” To this day, Stoneham, 67, still receives a handful of messages each week from people terrified by “the haunted eBay painting.” “We live in an age of science of revelation and hard realities and hard facts, but we are still drawn to the mysterious,” Stoneham said. “And what is more mysterious than paintings? More than any other object, paintings are a one-of-a-kind thing created by someone using their hands.” And sometimes, those hands create something that terrifies people for decades.