The Mysterious, Monstrous, and Macabre

Ralph Borge (American 1922–2008), Masks of Persona, 1973. Oil on panel, 36 x 26 in. Crocker Art Museum, gift of Martha Borge and Family, 2026.78.2.

From haunting images of ghostly figures, gruesome scenes from eerie stories and journeys through the spirit world, to fantastical beings both great and small, these works highlight the mysterious worlds lurking in the Crocker’s collection.

Image: Ralph Borge (American, 1922–2008), Masks of Persona, 1973. Oil on panel, 36 x 26 in. Crocker Art Museum, gift of Martha Borge and Family, 2026.78.2.

The Mysterious

Witches and wizards conjure magic, a woman smiles beneath haunting photos, a teapot wearing a wizard’s hat, ghosts rising from the dead, spirits dancing through water, and ghostly figures at Niagara Falls—the deeper you look at these artworks, the more mysterious details you will find.

The Monstrous

Gargoyles, demons, dogs, dragons, and the grotesque. Explore centuries of artworks that examine the creatures that fill our imaginations.

The Macabre

Death has been represented in art throughout human history. Whether as a reminder that life is fleeting or to be good during your time on earth, to study and understand the human body, or to honor ancestors, the relationship between the living and the dead remains strong in art across many forms and mediums.

Works from this Theme

A Hip Bone Eduard Kretzschmar 19th Century 1885.356
A Hip Bone
Eduard Kretzschmar
Allegory of Death Unknown artist (German, 17th century) 17th Century 1872.68
Allegory of Death
Unknown artist (German, 17th century)
Ceres Relinquishing her Dragons to Triptolemus Jacob de Wit 18th Century 2022.12.1
Ceres Relinquishing her Dragons to Triptolemus
Jacob de Wit
Classical Figures over Flaming Ruins Wilhelm von Kaulbach 19th Century 1974.58
Classical Figures over Flaming Ruins
Wilhelm von Kaulbach

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