The Mysterious, Monstrous, and Macabre
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.
Halloween
Celebrate the spookiest time of year with chilling works of art from the Crocker’s permanent collection.
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.
![Sopla [Blow], plate 69 from Los Caprichos [The Caprices] series](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fd8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net%2F2663%2F12304250-ad44-11f1-a882-c143d654884a-wyYU4uk.lg%402x.jpg&w=3840&q=75 "Sopla [Blow], plate 69 from Los Caprichos [The Caprices] series")
The Monstrous
Gargoyles, demons, dogs, dragons, and the grotesque. Explore centuries of artworks that examine the creatures that fill our imaginations.
![Disparate Volante [Flying Folly], from Los Disparates [The Follies] series](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fd8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net%2F2663%2Fbf319db0-ad43-11f1-a882-c143d654884a-wyYtPMA.lg%402x.jpg&w=3840&q=75 "Disparate Volante [Flying Folly], from Los Disparates [The Follies] series")
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.
