The Hands Resist Him A Visual rhetoric by

The Hands Resist Him A Visual rhetoric by Tessa Britt

The Hands Resist Him Created by Bill Stoneham, a painter of Oakland, California, in 1972. This painting is more famously known as E-bay’s “Haunted Painting. ”

A Closer Look… What are some of the first things you notice about the painting? What are some things a person may have to look more closely at to see?

My Point of View… I first notice two things when I see this picture: the little boy, and the life-size doll standing next to him (yes, it’s a doll. ) Before getting a closer look, I thought it was a little girl. Take a closer look at the background; something you may miss if you’re not looking closely enough at it is the massive amounts of hands pressed up against the glass door.

The Intentions? Who on EARTH could the audience be for a painting such as this?

Breaking it Down… A little boy, a doll, a glass door, and a mob of hands trying to get in…what could it all represent? IAs it turns out, the little boy in the painting is a self-portrait of Stoneham at age 5. Him, in this painting, and the doll could represent childhood; it could be that he is still a child at heart. The hands could be the hands of the people telling him to grow up; they could be trying to break through the door to take from his childhood. Does anybody have an opinion of what the glass door could symbolize?

Breaking it Down…(con. ) The door is glass because Stoneham is aware of the people who believe that he needs to grow up and move on from his childhood. The door being closed and no hands entering through here represent Stoneham’s ability to stand his ground and take pride of who he is. I believe this painting has pathos, or emotional appeal, because it involves being confident, strong, and happy in oneself, and refusing to follow the crowd.

So…the intentions… I believe that the audience intended for this painting would be people who are still a child at heart, and who take pride in that inner child.

The Composition What stood out to me the most about the composition is the colors. The colors are mostly pastel and reserved; they aren’t extremely vibrant or loud, reason being that this painting could be taken seriously. The white clothing of the doll and the child contrast strongly against the black of the night; something the clothing could represent, along with the two characters, is purity and innocence; when one thinks of the color white, they think of unspotted and pure. When one thinks of children, they think of innocence.

Freaky Facts! • The painting was purchased by a Mr. John Marley, who ended up passing away in 1984. • Years later, the painting was found in an abandoned building; Stoneham claims to have no knowledge of how it ended up there. • Owners of the painting claim to have experienced odd occurrences while the painting was in their possession, such as the doll and the boy fighting in the painting, and the little boy stepping out of the painting and into the room the painting was located in.

The Original E-Bay Disclaimer… • WARNING: DO NOT BID ON THIS PAINTING IF YOU ARE SUCCEPTIBLE TO STRESS RELATED DISEASE, FAINT OF HEART OR ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH SUPERNATURAL EVENTS. BY BIDDING ON THIS PAINTING, YOU AGREE TO RELEASE THE OWNERS OF ALL LIABILITY IN RELATION TO THE SALE OR ANY EVENTS HAPPENING AFTER THE SALE, THAT MIGHT BE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PAINTING MAY OR MAY NOT POSESS SUPERNATURAL POWERS, THAT COULD IMPACT OR CHANGE YOUR LIFE. HOWEVER, BY BIDDING YOU AGREE TO EXCLUSIVELY BID ON THE VALUE OF THE ARTWORK, AND HOLD THE OWNERS HARMLESS IN REGARD TO THEM AND THEIR IMPACT, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.

The End! (Yay! ) • Background Image: http: //i 738. photobucket. com/albums/xx 24/mmvoliver/black%20 backgrounds/ 1286104019090. jpg Image of the painting: http: //stonehamstudios. com/paintings/The. Hands. Resist. Him. jpg • • Information/sources: http: //www. castleofspirits. com/hauntedpainting. html http: //stonehamstudios. com/haunted. html http: //www. surfingtheapocalypse. com/haunted_painting. html