2025 Headless Horseman Painting – Original Art
This 7x10 original painting, mounted in an 11x14 white mat and sent unframed, reimagines Washington Irving’s timeless legend with a literary-philosophical twist.
Drawing on both her background in advertising and her experience as a henna artist, Karen Strum renders the Headless Horseman in a storybook style infused with swirls, dots, and rhythmic patterns inspired by traditional henna art. Stencils, carefully transferred to watercolor paper, ensure both precision and the potential for future editions—this is the very first in the series.
Layered watercolor washes mimic the patina of age, like pigment faded on parchment, while raised 3D black paint emphasizes the linework. Orange glitter flickers in the Horseman’s fiery pumpkin, and translucent metallic green acrylic shimmers across the grass, giving the piece a spectral, enchanted glow.
The Significance of the Flaming Pumpkin:
In The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820), the moment the Horseman hurls his flaming jack-o’-lantern at Ichabod Crane captures the terror of folklore colliding with superstition. The pumpkin becomes more than a weapon—it is a blazing symbol of fear, imagination, and the stories that haunt us.
Why It Was Banned:
Irving’s tale has, at times, been challenged and banned—most notably in select U.S. schools during the 1990s and early 2000s—for its supernatural elements, depictions of violence, and supposed conflicts with religious values. Like many ghost stories, it unsettled censors who mistook allegory for menace.
Why It Should Be Celebrated:
Far from a simple fright tale, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a foundational piece of American literature. It balances humor and horror, exploring themes of fear, belief, and cultural change in early America. Celebrating this story honors both its place in the Gothic tradition and its enduring power to spark imagination.
