Tevinter Nights - Spoiler Thread

Well according to the wiki, that particular image is listed as being Ferelden. Which, if true, would not make the image all that odd to find. Skyhold has been found and built over multiple times, so odds are good the fereldens or a group of ferelden decent found themselves in the keep at one point. This seems especially relevant since the image was found inside a wooden barn--a structure that is almost definitely human. Because while the elves may have been fond of twisting living trees to thier whims, making structures out of wooden planks seems to primarily be a human thing. Although dwarves are not entirely out of the realm of possibility if they were cooperating with humans. My guess? The barn-and the painting found within--was made by the last Ferelden who found Skyhold.

That would mean that while the image depicted may have older, possibly elvhen origins, the painters of that image did not know that. They just painted something to pass the time, show thier heritage, etc. Although if I had to put my theory out there, I would guess it was a callback to older Avaar/Chasind tales since Ferelden culture is highly influenced by them. The bear makes me think of Korth the Mountain-Father, also known as the Father of the Skies which would explain the star and moon imagery. Although the bear can also possibly represent Sigfrost, the guardian of wisdom who also takes the form of a great bear who supposedly sits at Korth's throne as Gervaise said.

That would most likely make the white 'antlered' woman the Lady of the Skies. A figure who is not so much 'antlered' as she is emitting a wind to carry off the dead, which is incidentally what the body  in the painting itself can be interpreted as. A dead person. A soul. A spirit being drifted away by the Lady's winds into the embrace of Korth, a being who avaar believe is where at least some of the dead need to be returned to. That would make the painting a depiction of a dead person being returned to the embrace of Korth.

It's not as grand of a theory as thinking its a Fen'Harel depiction or an artistic rework of Ghilan'nan, but I do think it is the most likely due to the style and possible age the structure it is found in. Admittedly the magic around Skyhold could have preserved the barn from the decay of time, but somehow I don't think the barn and its painting was part of Skyhold's original elvhen structure(s).

Not really. It's not like we had any of Skyhold's resident researchers or archivists looking into it. Mostly because no one really seemed all that interested in the painting at all. You would think that if it did replicate some older possibly-elvhen painting some passing scholar or Archivist Banon would have been like. "Hey, this painting is creepily similar to ancient depictions of so and so" or be like "Hey, this painting is made through a very obscure art style.". But then, it's not like scholars would regularly visit a barn...Even if Skyhold did have a lot of foot traffic. The best chance it had of being noticed by an expert was when Skyhold was first discovered and everyone was set to appraising the area. And that's assuming the painting was not some super duper old depiction that scholars simply don't know about or was forgotten.

Still, if any place seems like a potential hub for spirit activity reaching beyond the veil, it would be Skyhold. Although it would beg the question of what exactly it was trying to depict. Or even if what it was trying to depict was properly depicted at all. Spirits being able to 'see' beyond the veil can be a bit splotchy even at the best of times. Unlike Regret who was influenced by Fen'Harel, I imagine most other spirits would only be able to 'see' into this world about as well as every other fade denizen. Which is to say, not that well at all.

There are any number of weird murals throughout the Hinterlands and Crestwood that really have no explanation.

I always thought the painting in the barn was painted by an Inquisition member after the inquisition moved into skyhold, much as Solas's murals weren't already there when we moved in. I guess I assumed as much since it's just paint and you'd think paint on a wooden barn done as long ago as the previous residents would've worn away more.

There are dalish in the inquisition, maybe one of them painted ghilain'nain.

I explain the mural in the Inquisitor's room as Solas painting the rest of Skyhold with various murals. But mostly cus its a unique piece we see no where else, its in his style, and I'd assume anything in the Inquisitor's room is handcrafted to be there on purpose, not just a reused art asset to beautify.