History Main / CreepyChangingPainting

-->'''Awara''': When you hang this on the wall, it looks like a normal painting... but if ya tear it away from the bottom page by page, like this... the ''Art/MonaLisa'' in the painting starts to move little by little... until she eventually creeps up ta ya.\\

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

-->'''Awara''': When you hang this on the wall, it looks like a normal painting... but if ya tear it away from the bottom page by page, like this... the Mona Lisa in the painting starts to move little by little... until she eventually creeps up ta ya.\\

* In ''Manga/NatsumesBookOfFriends'' Natsume buys a painting of some trees at a swap meet that sinks roots into his walls, gains a silhouetted figure and starts draining his life energy after he brings it home.

* Dr. Luis, BigBad of ''VideoGame/SouthOfReal'', has a fondness for Creator/FranciscoDeGoya. That would be bad enough on its own, but the Goya paintings change as the protagonist delves further and further into the mansion they grew up in. A highlight is the painting in the kitchen...[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_Devouring_His_Son Saturn Devouring His Son]]. The revelation in that kitchen distorts the painting. It's also [[ImAHumanitarian related to said painting.]]

* Dr. Luis, BigBad of ''VideoGame/SouthOfReal'', has a fondness for Creator/FranciscoGoya. That would be bad enough on its own, but the Goya paintings change as the protagonist delves further and further into the mansion they grew up in. A highlight is the painting in the kitchen...[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_Devouring_His_Son Saturn Devouring His Son]]. The revelation in that kitchen distorts the painting. It's also [[ImAHumanitarian related to said painting.]]

[[SelfDemonstratingArticle creepypic]]

[[creepypic]]

** ''Literature/BillySummers'': While Billy is using a cabin close to where [[Literature/TheShining the Overlook Hotel]]'' used to be as his writing room, he notices how a picture of the hedge animals that used to be outside the hotel keeps changing, with the animals moving positions or getting closer to the camera. Much like how the actual hedge animals did in ''The Shining''.

* Mild case: A point in the ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' universe is that people in paintings, photographs and the like can actually move, even out of frame. So it's not inexplicable or off camera, but it still gets creepy when you see Umbridge's office hanging full with pictures of cats, meowing and moving.

* [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1891 SCP-1891]] of the Wiki/SCPFoundation does this to ''other'' paintings. Specifically, it's a painting of a stooped human. The painted human somehow moves to other paintings and gradually transforms everything depicted into machinery.

* On [[Wiki/TVTropes this very site]] In the forums for Halloween 2012, a system was implemented for the forum avatars that had this effect. When first viewed the avatar pictures are normal, but when you scroll offscreen then return to them, the picture is replaced with a random picture of something scary. Among these include a [[Series/DoctorWho Weeping Angel]], [[Film/TheExorcist demonic Regan]], [[Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos the Slender Man]], and Franchise/{{Cthulhu|Mythos}}. There were also a few humorous ones like [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite a sprite of Cofagrigus]] and a Weeping Angel with a "ಠ_ಠ" smiley for a face. It was popular enough to inspire the special image for this very page.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'', Larry the Cucumber has a paper bag mask which changes expressions based on the wearer's expression. Bob the Tomato notices it, and is very freaked out by it. It is later hinted that the mask doesn't change because of the wearer's emotions, but the wearer's emotions change because of the mask.
** This also happens in the first episode. Junior stares at his family photo before his mum, dad and him (in the photo) turn into franken-asparaguses causing Junior to run up the stairs and into his room.
* In the Creator/TexAvery cartoon ''WesternAnimation/WhoKilledWho'', a police detective looks inside a dark room with a flashlight. The light passes a picture of a [[GoingFurASwim woman in a swimsuit and fur coat]]. He quickly returns to it for a second look, but now the woman has covered herself up with the coat.
* Early villainess Hexadecimal in ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'' had a drama mask for a face, which could [[ExpressiveMask change expressions]], but only when offscreen. Hex could invoke this by passing her hand in front of her face.
* ''WesternAnimation/MrMagoo's Christmas Carol'': While the transforming door knocker is [[YetAnotherChristmasCarol par the course]], ''after'' the ghostly visitations end and Scrooge!Magoo leaves to visit the Cratchit house, the door knocker [[AsideGlance winks at the audience]].

* In the ''VideoGame/KingsQuestIII'' AGD remake, if you talk to the painting of Manannan...

** Keep in mind, the painting isn't saying this to the hero, but the player. A minor creepy version of BreakingTheFourthWall. Even more of a jump scare, is the fact that in the original version it was just a regular painting, catching fans of the original off guard.

* A FreezeFrameBonus in the opening to ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' has the Virgin Mary statue's eyes snap open after a lightning strike.

* The Haw Branch Plantation in Amelia, Virginia, long rumored to being haunted, features the portrait of a young woman named Florence Wright. The portrait, which was originally painted with pastel colors, was kept in storage for twenty years, and when taken out was said to have seemingly changed color to a faded, charcoal-like gray. After the portrait was placed above the fireplace in the library, its color gradually returned. A psychic later claimed that the portrait had been inhabited by a spirit, presumably Wright’s, and that she restored its color after it was finally put in a place she liked.

* ''The Mezzotint'', by Creator/MRJames, is about [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a mezzotint engraving]] which depicts a supernatural creature gradually making off with the family residing at an English manor.

* In the [[BigBoosHaunt Old Chateau]] in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum]]'', there is a room with a painting that looks normal if you look at it up close, but stares at you with [[RedEyesTakeWarning glowing red eyes]] if you look away from it.

[[caption-width-right:225:''[[VideoGame/LegacyOfKain This portrait is singularly inanimate. I knew better than to assume that it remains as such....]]'']]

[[caption-width-right:225:''[[VideoGame/LegacyOfKain This portrait is singularly inanimate. I knew better than to assume that it remains as such....]]'']]

[[caption-width-right:250:''[[VideoGame/LegacyOfKain This portrait remains singularly inanimate. I knew better than to assume that it remains as such....]]'']]