Strange and Mysterious

The Dark Side of Voodoo Art

Voodoo art, sometimes spelled Vodou or Vodun depending on the region, remains one of the most misunderstood traditions in global religious…
The Art of New Orleans Cemeteries

New Orleans is unlike any other city in America, and nowhere is that more evident than in its cemeteries. Locals call…
Surgical Art Through the Ages: Gruesome Yet Gripping

For centuries, artists have turned their gaze to the operating table, capturing scenes of surgery that range from deeply symbolic to…
Van Gogh’s Lost Portrait of Dr. Gachet: Mystery & Facts

Vincent van Gogh spent the final months of his life in the small French village of Auvers-sur-Oise, a short train ride…
The Gargas Cave Handprints: A Missing Fingers Mystery

Gargas Cave, or Grotte de Gargas, is nestled in the limestone hills near the village of Aventignan in the Hautes-Pyrénées region…
The Chupacabra in Art: Folklore and Fear

The chupacabra legend emerged explosively in Puerto Rico in March 1995, when local woman Madelyne Tolentino claimed to witness a creature…
The Story of the Zbruch Idol

In 1848, during a period of unusual drought, a limestone statue was pulled from the shallow waters of the Zbruch River…
Poppets in Folk Magic: Cursed Dolls and Witchcraft

The use of dolls as magical instruments traces back to the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean. In Greece and Rome, small…
Inside Civil War Battlefield Photography

The American Civil War (1861–1865) was the first conflict extensively documented through photography. Long before combat footage or live news broadcasts,…
Elongated Rock Figures of Tassili n’Ajjer, Algeria

Tassili n’Ajjer is a vast plateau in southeastern Algeria, covering around 28,000 square miles of sandstone cliffs and canyons. Situated near…
Van Meegeren’s Forged Vermeers: Art Deception Exposed

Han van Meegeren was born on October 10, 1889, in the Dutch town of Deventer. From a young age, he showed…
Hashima Island: Japan’s Ghost Island in Art

In the postwar decades, Hashima Island—known in Japan as Gunkanjima or “Battleship Island”—caught the attention of local painters drawn to its…