A distant family member passed away recently. I had only met him a couple of times, years ago, but at the time we had talked about our love for art and collecting artwork. It was a surprise to hear that in his Will he had left some very old portraits from his collection to me.

They were in a bad way when they arrived, but the conservator did a great job of restoring them. She also managed to reveal the worn and faded artist signature, a curious pseudonym, 'Lapin de la Lune'.

Researching the name, we found tales of an artist supposedly performing exorcisms through his art. He "did paint portraits of the possessed, drawing the spirit to the painting and hence from the living person".

They really are wonderful works of art. I don't believe in the stories, but have to admit that they take on a slightly eerie look late in the evening. The only snag is that the cats seem have taken a dislike, and meow loudly at them during the night, so I've reluctantly decided to offer them up for sale.

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