Whatever Happened to the eBay Haunted Painting?

This is a guest contribution from Sally Writes.

Back in 2000, a “Haunted Painting.” was listed on eBay that spread like wildfire. The seller was anonymous, but the painting was very much real. Entitled “The Hands That Resist Him” by artist Bill Stoneham, the painting depicted a boy with a female doll standing in front of a darkened window. Through the window you can see hands reaching out towards the children, menacing and threatening. The listing took the internet by storm and instantly became folklore and legend.

The power of the painting

According to the original eBay listing, “The Hands That Resist Him” was a haunted object with supernatural powers. It was based on a photograph that Bill Stoneham’s own father took of him as a child. The painting had affected the previous owners negatively and they were eager to move it out of their lives. The listing included a series of pictures that showed the painting changing and moving at night time, caught on their webcam. Two of the images included the doll waking up and coming alive with a gun in her hand, which she then used to force the gaunt looking boy out of the painting.

The viral listing

“The Hands That Resist Him” is a masterclass in the dark and creepy. The boy’s eyes are depicted in such a way that they appear brooding, distant and empty. They are eyes that look deep into your soul. Even from just viewing the painting on the eBay listing, people were reporting that they fell violently sick, and some even fainted. Observers said that they had felt the presence of an unseen entity. One person said that from looking at the painting, he could hear an Exorcist-type voice talking to him, and feel blasts of hot air, akin to standing in front of an oven door. The listing went viral. Bidding started at $199, furiously shot up to $1,025 by the time the auction had finished. The painting was sold to the owner of “Perception Gallery”, to a man named Kim Smith.

Where is the painting now?

After purchasing the haunted painting, it was displayed briefly in the gallery, but since got taken down and put into storage. Smith has reportedly said that he has no intention of selling the painting. However his sons are far from keenon having the “world’s most haunted painting” up on the on wall in their family home. It is now locked away in the back room of the Perception Gallery and is only brought out on brief occasions. The artist Bill Stoneham is still very much alive and has since painted two further paintings called “Resistance on the Threshold” and “Threshold of Revelations,” making “The Hands That Resist Him,” the first in a trilogy. Stoneham regularly receives correspondence and emails offering to exorcise his demons, and asking for the destruction of the Satanic painting.

So far, ten people have died since being close to “The Hands That Resist Him,” including the original owner, who died within a year of purchasing the painting. Is it any wonder that the picture is not hung up on the wall?

Note: A photo of the image is not included in this post because it’s copyrighted and requires special permission to use. But you can see it by visiting Stoneham Studios site and selecting “The Hands That Resist Him” tab, which is accessible via this link: https://www.stonehamstudios.com/haunted.

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