Salem (1908) is a painting by English artist Sydney Curnow Vosper (1866-1942), who is mostly known for painting landscapes and people of Brittany. It depicts Welsh lady SiΓ’n Owen (real person, then aged seventy-one), dressed in traditional Welsh costume, attending a service at Salem Baptist Chapel in village Pentre Gwynfryn, Wales. The painting gained notoriety after some pointed out that SiΓ’n Owen’s shawl hides the face of the Devil (see the picture below where possible facial contours are outlined). Vosper himself denied his intention of the Devil in the artwork.
Others also noticed some reference to vanity in the painting as SiΓ’n Owen arrived to church after all the others (the clock shows just before 10), and is seen dressed differently from the others, in bright clothing. This further gives her entrance a disturbing quality.
Moreover, in the church window, we can see the outlines of a ghostly face, making the artwork even more unsettling. Vosper confirmed that he did intend this ghostly depiction.
The painting is on display at the Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight, Wirral, UK, and the artwork’s second version is currently at the National Museum Cardiff.
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An intriguing thought. Was this the start of misleading the public with fake news perhaps?
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One of the instances, perhaps. The public realised there was a face hidden in the painting, but most got the “wrong” face π
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