The Curse of the Crying Boy paintings refers to a series of mass-produced artworks depicting a tearful child, which gained notoriety in the UK during the 1980s due to a bizarre urban legend. After a number of house fires, it was reported that these paintings were often found undamaged amid the ruins, leading to rumors that they were cursed. Some believed that owning one of these paintings would bring misfortune or that the paintings themselves were somehow resistant to fire. Though no concrete evidence of the curse exists, the legend grew, making the "Crying Boy" paintings infamous in paranormal lore.