At the end of the 19th century, this painting came into the possession of Ferdinand I of Bulgaria, and one of the most well-known stories about this artwork is that it terrified his entire cabinet. It is even said that a tradition was established of having to make the sign of the holy cross every time they saw this painting on the wall
Video analysis: https://youtu.be/3mYvvRaHBIg?si=HronLj40NioB8V-6
You’re not the only one who thought that.