10 Terrifying Artworks from Art History: A Halloween Slideshow

With Halloween approaching, an art and object slideshow presents ten frightening artworks from art history to evoke seasonal chills. The list includes Hans Holbein the Younger's The Ambassadors, 1533, held at the National Gallery in London. Another featured work is Pieter Bruegel the Elder's Dulle Griet (Mad Meg), 1563, an oil on panel at the Museum Mayer van den Bergh in Antwerp. Bruegel's painting depicts a Flemish folktale in which Griet, a term for an uppity or nagging, loud woman, leads an army of angry women to pillage hell. Wearing armor and wielding weapons, they seek treasures, but their greed and brashness are no match for the demons they encounter. The slideshow, published on artandobject.com, highlights biblical horrors, Greek mythology, and existential dread as themes that make art museums full of frightening depictions. The article is dated October 16, 2026, and is credited to chandra. The collection aims to put viewers in the Halloween spirit by showcasing terrifying masterpieces from art history.