Why Are Creepy Paintings So Damn Popular?

After many suggestions from viewers to cover dystopian surrealist painter Zdzisław Beksiński, I decided to write this video essay. From my most watched video on Jan Matejko’s Stańczyk painting to other dark and horrifying works like Odilon Redon’s Noirs, I examine the role of these dark, creepy, and ominous paintings. Herbert Read claims that art has been mainly done in a religious lens, to unify and create a community-feeling. But straying from religious works like those of Peter Paul Rubens or even Da Vinci’s Last Supper, how do Beksinski’s paintings, along with other sinister and dark paintings convey this feeling? What is the role of the artist? What are these paintings ultimately achieving? As always, to continue the conversation, I will be live on Youtube later today at 2pm EST and 11am PST. Join me then with your questions and comments. If you enjoy watching our videos, and would like to support us, check us out on Patreon: Instagram: #videoessay #arthistory #zdzislawbeksinski