Ghostly Spirits on Canvas

Artists have been fascinated with ghosts throughout art history. Spirits represent such themes as loss, memory, and the unknown, evoke a unique blend of beauty and melancholy.

Spirit George Roux

French artist George Roux created this artwork in the 19th century. In the painting he captures a ghostly woman who blends into her surroundings. The artist uses soft whites and translucent shades to give the figure an ethereal quality, making her appear suspended between this world and the next. The scene reflects loss and longing which were prevalent in the Romantic era. The ghostly spirit at the piano must be playing a haunting melody.

The Haunted Mere Alfred James Munnings

English artist Alfred James Munnings was best known for his paintings of rural England. In this artwork the focal point is the landscape including the mere or small lake with a ghostly spirit rising from the water. The palette is dominated by muted browns, grays, and sepia tones, creating an air of stillness and mystery. The ghostly figure, painted with faint strokes of white and pale gray, blends seamlessly with the misty atmosphere of the landscape. The two human figures peering at the spirit appear to be frightened and stand still.

Speak! Speak! Sir John Everett Millais

English artist Sir John Everett Millais created this artwork in 1895 depicting a man sitting up in bed, reaching toward a spectral figure of woman standing by his bed.

Emerging from behind the curtains, the ghost appears luminous and serene, rendered in pale white against the room’s rich, shadowy tones. Millais was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphelite Brotherhood. He pays great detail to create both realism and atmosphere. One can tell that the man in the painting is beseeching the spirit to speak, perhaps he recognizes her and wants to know what she is looking for.

The Haunted Room Alfred James Munnings

English artist Alfred James Munnings depicts a ghostly spirit in a farmhouse in Exmoor. The ghostly figure appears to glow within the shadowy room creating an eerie, candlelit atmosphere. The spirit has frightened both the woman in the bed and the man who is trying to reach out to touch the spirit probably to see if it is real. The room with its heavy wooden furniture and flickering light cast spooky long shadows and contrasts with the ghostly presence.

A Sickly Young Woman Sits Covered Up on a Balcony Richard Tennant Cooper

English artist Richard Tennant Cooper created this haunting artwork depicting a sickly fragile women confronted by the spirit of death. The scene shows a frail woman reclining in a chair, draped in blankets, as she gazes outward. Behind her, a translucent figure of Death—cloaked and skeletal—stands silently, holding an hourglass as a symbol of life’s fleeting nature. This painting reflects early 20th-century anxieties about illness and mortality, particularly in the context of tuberculosis, which afflicted many during the period.

Other Spooky Artwork

The Widow II Kathe Kollwitz

German artist Kathe Kollwitz one of the leading artists of the early 20th century creates this artwork as part of her series Krieg or War. It was made about the horrors of WW I. In this 1992 painting one can see a woman cradling her baby in death.

The Ghost of a Flea William Blake

English artist William Blake depicts a man-beast looking inot a bowl of blood. The artist was inspired to create this artowek after experiencing a vision of the ghost of a flea. While drawing the spirit, the creature told Blake that all fleas were possessed by the souls of men who were ‘by nature, bloodthirsty to excess’. The creature in the painting has bursting muscles, taloned fingers and horned ears.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi a 19th century Japanese artist takes inspiration from Japanese history and mythology in this woodblock priny Princess Takiyasha summons a gigantic skeleton to frighten the warrior Mitsunki. The emperor had sent the warrior to quash the rebellion led by Takiyasha’s father, Massakado. Despite conjuring up this fearsome apparition, Takiyasha’s attempts to prevent Mitsunki defeating the plotters were in vain.