The painting refers to the italian horror, you're likely thinking of the Giallo genre, with top contenders being A Blade in the Dark (1983) (featuring gory slasher knife scenes) or Knife of Ice (1972) (a classic giallo with a killer in the countryside). Other iconic giallo films like Dario Argento's Deep Red also heavily feature knife-wielding killers, defining the Italian horror tradition of stylish, mysterious murders, often with a prominent blade. 

Even Wes Craven`s SCREAM refers to that iconic cult.