| The Hands Resist Him | |
|---|---|
| |
|
Origin |
Bill Stoneham |
|
Type |
Painting |
|
Effects |
Displays other versions of their childhood |
|
Downsides |
Responds strongly to negative emotion |
|
Activation |
Proximity to another artwork |
|
Collected by |
Warehouse 13 |
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Section |
|
|
Aisle |
934084-618 |
|
Date of Collection |
June 2, 2019 |
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
The Hands Resist Him was painted in 1972 by Bill Stoneham, showing a young boy and female doll leaning against a glass door with hands pressed against the inside. The child is based off a photo from Stoneham when he was five. The door represents the divide separating the real world and realms of possibility. Meanwhile, the doll acts as a guide between planes and the hands depict alternate lives one could have fulfilled.
Initially, the painting was bought and sold between several exhibitions and private collectors after two separate owners died within a year. Eventually a couple found it stowed away inside an abandoned brewery. They later tried to sell it online through eBay with a strong backstory hinting it was haunted or cursed. When they recorded it inside their child’s bedroom, they claimed the painting would sometimes move or the characters would try to leave the canvas under threat. Many of the 30,000 page watchers would report feeling uneasy viewing it, although it’s unclear how much came from the provenance or the actual art composition itself. Two sequels were later painted by Stoneham after hearing the eerie-oneous tales; they were all on display in the Perception Gallery in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Effects[]
Each set of hands represents a different version of one’s life which can exit the painting and play with the viewer. Every version starts off as a young child version of themselves born or raised into different life circumstances with their own memories and dreams. Speaking as a sort of buddy appears to be the full scope of their abilities, as they can’t physically interact with anything. It appears all they want to do is play and help one’s self review their current life, to decide whether they are happy right at that moment. After several hours, they fade away and return to the image.
Responds very strongly to negative emotion. Instead of showing hopeful duplicates of themselves, angry and mischievous versions appear instead. They will still try to help their adult self, but often through humiliating pranks that reveal whether they are satisfied with their accomplishments as a person.