Sayyiduna Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The angels do not enter a house in which there is a picture." Busr said: Then Zayd bin Khalid (may Allah be pleased with him) fell ill and we visited him, and on the curtain at the door of his house there were pictures. I said to Ubaydullah al-Khawlani (may Allah have mercy on him), who had been raised by Sayyidah Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with her): "Did Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) not tell us about pictures the other day?" Ubaydullah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Did you not hear him when he said: 'Except for a marking on a cloth'?"
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصداق / 14583
Sayyiduna Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The angels do not enter a house in which there are pictures." Busr (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Sayyiduna Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) fell ill and we visited him. In his house there was a curtain with pictures on it, so I said to Ubaydullah (may Allah have mercy on him): "Did he not narrate to us (about pictures)?" He said: "He did say: 'Except for a marking on a cloth.' Did you not hear it?" I said: "No." He said: "Indeed he did," and he mentioned it.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصداق / 14584
Ubaydullah bin Abdullah bin Utbah bin Mas'ud (may Allah have mercy on him) came to visit Sayyiduna Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) in his illness, and Sayyiduna Sahl bin Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him) was with him. Sayyiduna Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) called someone, who pulled out a cover from beneath him. Sayyiduna Sahl bin Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Why are you removing it?" He said: "Because there are pictures on it, and you know what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said about that." Sayyiduna Sahl (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Did he (peace and blessings be upon him) not say: 'Except what is a marking on a cloth'?" He said: "Yes, but this is more pleasing to my soul."
The words "except a marking on a cloth" may mean pictures of things that do not have souls.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصداق / 14585