The Anguished Man: Haunted Painting or Elaborate Hoax?

“The Anguished Man” supposedly is one of the world’s most haunted and cursed objects.

According to the story, the strange painting of a man in pure agony was made by an unknown artist who, after mixing his own blood into the paint, allegedly committed suicide soon after finishing the portrait.

The unusual cursed item was “discovered” in 2010 by a man named Sean Robinson (from Cumbria, England), who claimed he inherited the painting from his grandmother.

Since then, the allegedly cursed object has been the source of countless documented paranormal events.

Who Painted “The Anguished Man”?

The artist’s identity behind “The Anguished Man” remains a mystery. What we do know comes solely from Sean Robinson’s account.

According to Robinson, he inherited the painting from his grandmother (who also shared a chilling story about its origins). She claimed this unnamed artist had mixed his blood into the paint. He took his own life shortly after completing the work.

It’s a compelling backstory. But it also raises some questions.

How did Sean’s grandmother acquire this eerie painting? Unfortunately, that part of the story is lost to time. Did she know the artist personally? Perhaps the painting was given to her as a gift?

One thing is clear—she was never fond of the painting.

For about twenty-five years, she kept it hidden away in her attic. According to Robinson, his grandmother always felt an ominous presence emanating from the artwork.

She spoke of hearing voices and cries whenever the painting was on display. She even recounted seeing a shadowy figure of a man in her home.

These experiences eventually led her to lock the painting away, fearing its “evil” influence.

Here’s a video of “The Anguished Man” painting for you to check out:

Despite his grandmother’s warnings, Robinson didn’t initially believe in the supernatural.

In 2010, he decided to bring the painting out of storage, unknowingly unleashing a series of disturbing events. The paranormal activity became so intense that Robinson began recording and sharing videos of the painting on his YouTube channel.

This is what Robinson said in one of his videos:

“The painting is still in our house, and although I never believed in the supernatural, I am now convinced there is something wicked about this painting.”

Keep in mind that all these are based just on Robinson’s claims.

Unexplained Phenomena and Paranormal Activity

After “The Anguished Man” entered Sean Robinson’s home, his family began experiencing a wave of disturbing and creepy events.

At first, it was the sounds—whispers, distant cries, and strange scratching noises that seemed to come from the walls or near the painting itself—like the house had a voice of its own.

Unfortunately for Robinson (and his family), these auditory disturbances were just the beginning.

The Paranormal Activity Escalates

As time went on, things started getting a lot creepier. The family members began to notice dark, shadowy silhouettes in the corners of their eyes—quick, fleeting, but definitely there.

Next, it was the strange physical presence. Some reported feeling an icy touch on their skin, as if a cold hand had brushed against them—chilling in more ways than one.

But the most terrifying incident? Sean Robinson’s son was allegedly pushed down a flight of stairs by an invisible force. Though he wasn’t hurt physically, the psychological impact was undeniable.

Related:

In an attempt to better understand—or perhaps just to document—what was happening, Robinson decided to move the painting from the basement to the bedroom, where the strange activities seemed to be most intense:

“As a former skeptic, I’m very curious, so I’m moving the painting into our bedroom. Previously, it was in a cupboard downstairs. I’m feeling anxious and a little scared…”

A Haunting Presence

As the days passed, the oppressive atmosphere in the Robinson household only intensified.

The family began noticing cold spots suddenly appearing out of nowhere, accompanied by a constant, unnerving sensation of being watched.

In his own words, Robinson detailed his attempts to document the bizarre happenings:

“I set the camera up once more in the spare bedroom. The painting had been stored away since the last recording. Over three nights, I recorded for approximately four hours each night, between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.

The usual banging noises were captured, but something more disturbing occurred on the second night around 3:25 a.m. The painting suddenly toppled over, and just afterward, a small orb appeared above it.

There were no drafts in the room, and the painting had been propped at an angle against the wall, so it shouldn’t have fallen on its own. I also encountered that strange mist again at the top of the stairs—it felt like I was surrounded by smoke, and I became freezing. Then, as quickly as it appeared, it vanished.”

Curious to see what the camera captured? Check out the footage below:

The Paranormal Investigation

Feeling that the paranormal events may get out of hand, Sean Robinson sought help from paranormal investigators.

Enigma Paranormal Events, a UK-based ghost-hunting group led by John Blackburn, was particularly interested in what was happening with the painting.

They agreed to conduct a series of investigations (which included holding séances to try and communicate with whatever spirits might be attached to the artwork).

Blackburn and his team documented their findings in several videos.

In the video titled “The Anguished Man Live Experiment,” Blackburn and his team claimed that the painting was inhabited by two distinct spirits.

During one séance, they reported that one of the spirits responded to the name “David.”

You can watch the video below:

Robinson’s Wife Refuses to Stay in the Same House as the Painting

The relentless string of strange occurrences in their home understandably unsettled Robinson’s wife.

The final straw for her was a terrifying experience in which she awoke to find a frightening figure lying beside her in bed. This encounter was so traumatic that she refused to remain in the same house as the painting.

To ease her fears, Robinson agreed to move the painting back into the basement.

However, the reprieve was short-lived.

Shortly after relocating the painting, the basement was unexpectedly flooded, forcing the family to bring “The Anguished Man” back upstairs.

According to Robinson, the strange paranormal activities resumed the moment the painting returned to the living space.

Chillingham Castle view from outside — Chillingham Castle, sometimes called “the most haunted castle in England,” is home to the infamous “Blue Boy” ghost. This spirit is said to appear in the castle’s Pink Room, where visitors have reported seeing blue flashes of light and hearing the cries of a young boy. The legend states that during renovations, the bones of a young boy were discovered behind a wall along with scraps of blue cloth, leading many to believe these remains belonged to the ghostly “Blue Boy” who has haunted the castle for centuries.

The “The Anguished Man” Was Taken to an Allegedly Haunted Castle

At one point, Sean Robinson loaned “The Anguished Man” to paranormal investigators John Blackburn and Ian Lawman.

The duo took the painting on a tour of several haunted locations throughout the UK, with the most notable stop being Chillingham Castle—a site widely regarded as one of the most haunted places in Britain.

On the night of May 18, 2013, during a séance at Chillingham Castle, attendees experienced a series of chilling events.

What happened? First, the room’s temperature abruptly dropped, becoming icy cold, as a large, dark figure manifested in the center of the séance circle.

Next, a massive wooden bench began moving violently around the room, seemingly in response to Blackburn’s inquiries directed at the painting.

The two paranormal investigations and several other witnesses present at the moment believed these phenomena were the actions of John Sage, one of Chillingham Castle’s allegedly resident spirits.

Perhaps Sage was expressing his anger towards the introduction of “The Anguished Man,” perceiving the painting—and the entity attached to it—as an unwelcome intruder in his domain.

How Much Is “The Anguished Man” Worth?

The value of “The Anguished Man” has been a topic of curiosity for many, especially after it briefly appeared on eBay in October 2015.

The listing, titled “Anguished Man – Haunted Painting Oil on Canvas Horrific Paranormal Portrait,” had an asking price of £1,500, roughly equivalent to $2,100 at the time.

But $2,100 seems awfully low for an allegedly cursed object. Even without significant proof to support the claims, these objects are typically sold for much more.

So, why even list the painting?

The listing on eBay sparked some speculations. Some believe it was a publicity stunt to promote its acquisition by the film company La Brea Pictures.

Others suspected it might have been a cash-grab by Sean Robinson from the start, trying to leverage the painting’s haunted reputation for some quick profit.

Where Is “The Anguished Man” Now?

Publicity stunt or not, in 2016, La Brea Pictures actually secured the rights to produce a film based on “The Anguished Man.” Tii Ricks was asked to direct the movie.

Eventually, the studio announced the film’s title as “Anguished,” but little information about the project has been released since then, leaving its status uncertain.

As for the painting, according to the latest updates, “The Anguished Man” remains with Sean Robinson, who continues documenting the ongoing paranormal activity.

The Curse of “The Anguished Man”: Real or Fabricated?

While the bizarre experiences surrounding “The Anguished Man” have captivated many, skeptics have raised significant doubts about the authenticity of the painting’s haunted reputation.

Critics argue that the videos Sean Robinson uploaded to YouTube—showing doors slamming, light anomalies, and strange noises—could easily be staged with simple techniques like fishing lines or other trickery.

Greg Newkirk, a prominent figure in the paranormal community, also expressed his doubts about the painting’s backstory, describing it as “too good to be true.”

He pointed out that some of the story’s details are almost suspiciously rich, which often signals fabrication. In his view, the narrative surrounding “The Anguished Man” might be carefully constructed to captivate and scare, rather than to document actual paranormal activity.

Further skepticism also arose from the lack of independent verification.

The entire story and all the evidence come exclusively from Robinson. So, how are we supposed to verify and corroborate any of the claims?

Paranormal investigations (like those conducted by John Blackburn and Ian Lawman) have indeed yielded dramatic results. However, these, too, are often viewed with suspicion by those who question the objectivity and methods used during such events.

Our Take

From our perspective, while the stories and videos associated with “The Anguished Man” are undeniably compelling and have captured the imagination of many, we believe it’s important to approach them with a healthy dose of skepticism.

The fact that all evidence comes from a single source—Sean Robinson—means that we must consider the possibility of embellishment or even fabrication.