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Art Mysteries · 1864–present

The painting they cover before the examinations

Two polar bears, a vanished expedition and a university ritual: the darkness belongs to the picture, not a proven curse.

Egham, United KingdomDocumented painting; unfounded curse folklore
Edwin Landseer, Man Proposes, God Disposes, 1864: an imagined Arctic scene, not a record of an observed event.
Edwin Landseer, Man Proposes, God Disposes, 1864: an imagined Arctic scene, not a record of an observed event. Edwin Landseer / Royal Holloway, University of London; collection THC0032 ↗

The imagined final scene

Two polar bears occupy the wreckage of a human endeavour. Landseer’s 1864 canvas evokes the lost Franklin expedition, transforming Arctic catastrophe into a disturbing scene. It is an artist’s reconstruction, not a photograph or eyewitness record of the explorers’ final moments. Royal Holloway identifies the work and explains the Victorian arguments surrounding its subject. [1]

A flag between students and the bears

A different story developed when the gallery became a place for examinations. Times Higher Education describes the belief that looking at the painting brings bad luck and the practice of covering it with a Union Flag. This is reported student folklore, not evidence that a canvas can cause failure, illness or death. Its repetition should not turn superstition into an established incident. [2]

What the witness actually remembered

A university-published alumni interview supplies a quieter, firsthand detail: a former student recalls sitting finals opposite the painting while it was covered with the flag. That testimony supports the existence of the ritual. It does not authenticate every dramatic explanation attached to it. The most intriguing contrast is between a visible institutional custom and the unverifiable power attributed to the image. [3]

What is established · what remains open

Documented painting; unfounded curse folklore

The artwork belongs to Royal Holloway. The flag tradition is documented; supernatural harm is not established.

Artwork Details & DocumentationIdentification, ownership history and supporting records

Individual artwork identification details have not yet been documented in this record. Missing specifications are not inferred from the photograph or report headline.

Not documented in this record: object type · materials & technique · measurements · inscriptions & markings · distinguishing features · artwork title · maker / attribution · creation date / period · subject.

Record sources

Identification details follow the Object ID categories where documented. Ownership history is recorded separately; this documentation is not an authentication or a certificate of ownership.

Sources & documentation

  1. Royal Holloway: collection highlight and historical context ↗
  2. Times Higher Education: examination superstitions ↗
  3. Royal Holloway: alumnus recalls the flag-covered painting ↗

An original ArtTraceX feature based on the cited sources, checked 9 November 2026. Legends and hypotheses are distinguished from established facts. Images are identified in their captions.

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