The Hands Resist Him

In 2002, a strange painting was listed on Ebay that would grab the attention of many and soon begin to quickly circulate around the internet. The painting was listed by a couple, who claimed the painting carried a curse. Their eBay description made a series of claims that the painting was cursed or haunted. The couple said claimed that the boy and the doll in the picture would fight with each other during the night, horrifying their toddler aged daughter. Skeptical, they set up a motion-sensing camera in the room for three nights photographing things they couldn’t explain. These photos were included in the listing and were said to be evidence of an incident in which the female doll character threatened the male character with a gun that she was holding, causing him to attempt to leave the painting. A disclaimer was included with the Ebay listing absolving the seller from all liability if the painting was purchased eventually being sold for $1025 after receiving about thirty bids. 

The Hands Resist Him is a painting that was created by artist Bill Stoneham in 1972. According to Stoneham, the boy is based on a photograph of himself at age five. The doorway is a representation of the dividing line between the waking world and the world of fantasy and impossibilities, while the doll is a guide that will escort the boy through it. 

The painting was first displayed at the Feingarten Gallery in Beverly Hills, California, in the early 1970s. during one of Stoneham’a show. the painting, was reviewed by the art critic at the Los Angeles Times. and eventually bought by actor John Marley, who acted in the Godfather.  After Marley’s death, the painting was found at the site of an old brewery by the couple who listed it on Ebay. Due to its success, Stoneham has painted several follow ups to the haunted painting. 

So, is the Hands Resist Him a cursed and haunted painting or simply an internet story that spiraled out of control? Over the years many people have claimed to have gotten physically sick by merely looking at the painting. Still others question if this was simply a marketing ploy. If the painting caused so much distress, wouldn’t the couple just decide to donate it or destroy it? Others will argue that donating it would lead to an unsuspecting person being terrorized by the painting. 

Still, one final strange fact to point out is that both the art critic who originally reviewed it and the original art gallery owner where the painting was first shown died within a year of coming into contact with it.