Centuries Old 'Ugly Woman' Painting Mystery Unraveled - 5 Unsettling Paintings

A couple from Hampshire has partly solved the mystery of the "ugly woman" painting they received in the post. The portrait had no cover letter and Sue Webb, who referred to the woman in the painting as a "horrid old crone" banished the piece to the garage when she and husband Keith received it.

A cousin from Perth told Mr Webb that she remembers seeing the portrait at their Uncle Charles' home in Winchester. Described as "terrifying" by his nieces, Mr Webb told reporters that one of his children would like to have it. Mr Webb however still does not have any idea who posted the painting to their home.

While there is interest in keeping the painting as confirmed by Mr Webb himself, Mrs Webb insists that it stays in the garage in the meantime.

5 Unsettling Paintings

1. The Scream by Edvard Munch

Expressionist Edvard Munch was walking over a bridge one day when he had a panic attack. To show how horrible the experience was, Munch painted The Scream. He was hung up with this particular event that he created three other versions of the painting.

2. The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli

According to Nicholas Powell, an art critic, the pose of the woman surmounted by a devilish-looking creature may have been inspired by the Vatican Ariadne.

The painting became so popular that engravings of the painting were made. Along with the engraving is a short poem written by Erasmus Darwin titled "Night-Mare".

The Nightmare painted in 1781 is currently at the Institute of Fine Arts in Detroit.

3. Judith Slaying Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi

Although early Baroque artist Gentileschi based this painting on a scene from the Bible, she drew herself as Judith and her former mentor accused of her rape as Holofernes. Mary Garrard, the artist's biograpaher said that the painting was Artemisia Gentileschi's way of expressing her "private, and perhaps repressed, rage."

4. Hands Resist Him (The Haunted Painting)

Found near an old brewery, this painting titled Hands Resist Him was sold by its owner in the year 2000 when supernatural events started happening in his home. One of his children apparently saw the boy in the painting to actually exit the picture. The seller even warned the bidders to take into consideration the possibility of supernatural events to happen in the home of the new owner.

When netizens saw the painting online, many remarked that the boy looks like America's Unknown Child in the mysterious unsolved murder case in 1957 called Boy in the Box. Take a look at the painting here.

5. Saturn Devouring His Son by Francisco de Goya

Those who love Francisco de Goya can fill this list with most of his work but this painting is possibly Goya's most famous painting from his group of 14 pieces called Pinturas Negras (Black Paintings).