Haunted Paintings & Spirit Energy in Homes | Space Clearing
Can paintings be haunted?
It’s a question many people quietly ask themselves but rarely say out loud. You walk into a room, glance at a painting, and something in your body tightens. Your sleep changes. Your mood shifts. You feel watched, unsettled, or emotionally heavy for no clear reason.
As a space clearing practitioner, who conducts assessments and clearings remotely, I can tell you this: paintings don’t just decorate a space. They can hold energy, memory, and sometimes even spirit presence.
Especially for empaths.
This blog explores how and why certain paintings affect us so deeply, how to tell if artwork is influencing your home or hotel room, and what you can do about it in a grounded, non-fearful way.
You can also listen to this episode on my Happy Home Space Clearing Podcast instead if you prefer.
Can Paintings Be Haunted?
The short answer is: sometimes, yes.
But not in the dramatic horror-movie sense most people imagine.
When we talk about haunted paintings, we are usually referring to one of two things:
Spirit attachments – ancestral spirits, earthbound souls, or energies consciously or unconsciously connected to the artwork
Energetic imprints – emotional states, trauma, grief, violence, or intensity embedded in the painting at the time it was created
Both can be felt by sensitive people, even if they don’t consciously “believe” in energy work.
Paintings are especially powerful because they are created in altered emotional states. Art often emerges from grief, longing, memory, devotion, or pain. That frequency doesn’t disappear once the paint dries.
How Spirits and Energy Attach to Artwork
There are several ways paintings can hold or attract energy:
1. Ancestral Portraits
Paintings of ancestors can act as energetic anchors. Sometimes this is loving and protective. Other times, an ancestor may remain attached due to unfinished business, grief, or a strong bond with the family line.
2. Paintings Created During Trauma
Artists often channel intense life experiences into their work. If a painting was created during depression, war, loss, or emotional suffering, that imprint can remain active.
3. Paintings as Portals
Some artwork functions like a portal, especially when the subject carries spiritual, religious, or symbolic weight. Knights, saints, religious figures, mourners, or suffering faces can open energetic doorways without the artist realising it.
4. Public Spaces and Hotels
Hotel art is one of the most overlooked sources of energetic disturbance. Guests often report disturbed sleep, nightmares, or unease without realising that a single painting can be affecting the entire room.
Real Experiences With Haunted Paintings
In a recent podcast episode, we shared real, lived experiences that illustrate this clearly.
One story involved an ancestral painting that became a daily spiritual ally, offering comfort, guidance, and protection. The spirit connected to the painting was benevolent, loving, and deeply present.
Another experience involved a hotel painting depicting a medieval knight holding a blood-stained sword. Multiple people in the same location reported nightmares, disturbed sleep, and emotional unrest. When we tuned into the energy, layers of historical violence and unresolved trauma became apparent.
In another case, a hotel guest felt physically unwell and emotionally drained after staying in a room with a large, dark painting of a distressed woman. Simply sleeping in that space was enough to disrupt the nervous system.
These stories are not rare. They are simply rarely talked about.
The paintings we talk about are below.
Ancestral portrait of Anita and the Knights Templar painting from Jane:
Why Empaths Are Especially Affected by Paintings
Empaths don’t just see art. They feel it.
Your nervous system responds before your mind has time to analyse. You may notice:
Trouble sleeping or vivid dreams
Emotional heaviness for no clear reason
Anxiety, sadness, or irritability that lifts when you leave the room
Physical sensations like tightness in the chest, throat, or stomach
A sense of being watched or “not alone”
This doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. It means your system is perceptive.
Empaths often blame themselves for these sensations, assuming they are “too sensitive.” In reality, sensitivity is information.
How to Tell If a Painting Is Affecting Your Space
Ask yourself these simple questions:
Do I feel calmer or heavier when I look at this painting?
Does my body relax or tense up in its presence?
Do I avoid looking at it without knowing why?
Did my sleep, mood, or energy change after it entered the space?
You don’t need psychic abilities to answer these questions. Your body already knows.
How to Clear Haunted Paintings or Energetic Objects
Not every painting needs to be removed. Many simply need acknowledgement, clearing, or repositioning.
Some general guidelines:
If the energy feels neutral or mild, grounding and intention work may be enough
If spirits are involved, compassionate clearing is essential. Never force or “banish”
If the painting feels overwhelming, trust your instinct and remove it from your space
In inherited items, honour the ancestor without sacrificing your wellbeing
This work should feel empowering, not frightening.
If something feels too big to handle alone, that is not failure. It is discernment. Ask a professional to help you clear your home or objects.
Free Painting & Object Energy Assessment
If you’re unsure about a painting, object, or piece of art in your home, I offer a free energetic assessment.
You can send a photo and brief description, and I’ll let you know what I sense and whether clearing is needed or whether I can assist. Book via my website here.
Maybe you're also interested in my book: Space Clearing for Empaths: Activate Your Empath Corner in Five Days And Reclaim Your Energy, Boundaries, And Peace where I guide you step by step in creating a safe, grounded sanctuary within your home.
Your space should support your nervous system, not challenge it, and it comes with 5 powerful, downloadable meditations.
Get your copy here.
