Each year there’s a Photoshop contest over atDesignCrowdwhere artists create brilliant new works of art by putting celebrities into old renaissance paintings.
The results are something really special. We’ve collected some of our favourites from the last few years for you to enjoy. If you like what you see, we’d highly recommend having abrowse through the archives.
A portrait of a mother
This painting might well be one of the oldest on our list. It dates back to somewhere around 1490 and shows Barbara Dürer, mother of German painter Albrecht Dürer. The updated version including an improved and enhanced vision with Angelina Jolie in her place.
A romantic view of Anthony Hopkins
This is another brilliant Photoshopping edit of a classic oil painting. The original image was a portrait of Francisco Goya, a famous Spanish painter. We really like the new version that includes Anthony Hopkins. Not just because he looks magnificent, but because the Photoshopper also went to the trouble of updating all the colours and hue in the image too.
The original subject of this painting was Alexander von Humboldt was a polymath, geographer, naturalist, explorer and much more besides. He was a highly thought of German thinker and a man of influence. His likeness has been replaced with Brad Pitt who looks a lot more mischevious, but certainly a dash more intellectual than usual.
Portrait of Christian Bale
The original oil painting here is thought to be from around 1600 and shows a portrait of Jorge Manuel Theotocopoulos by Greek artist known as El Greco. The new version shows a fun-loving Christian Bale who oddly looks more like an angry vampire than a chilled out painter.
A portrait of the burgomaster
The original oil painting, the Portrait of Jakob Muffel, was crafted by German Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer in 1526 and shows the local burgomaster (mayor) of Nuremberg. Now updated and tweaked it features a wise-looking Michael Cane.
A portrait of Gillian Anderson
There’s no denying that Gillian Anderson looks fairly stunning on canvas, but what we really like is the effort this Photoshop editor put into the tweaks. Including changes to the skintone, addition of the necklace and even accounting for the different hairstyles.
Ludwig Van Jagger
In a rather fitting Photoshopping, one artist who goes by the name Dm2 transformed this portrait painting of Ludwig van Beethoven by swapping the pianist with the founder of the Rolling Stones - Sir Mick Jagger.
Patrick Stewart in a military costume
The original image here is a famous Rembrandt painting titled “An old man in military costume” and shows his father in his full regalia. It’s beenwonderfully updated herewith Patrick Stewart magnificently worked into the painting instead.
Portrait of Innocent Tom Cruise
The original oil painting was lovingly crafted by Diego Velázquez in 1650 and shows pope Giovanni Battista Pamphilj. The updated version shows a fun-loving Tom Cruise, in his place. Fun fact Tom Cruise actually wanted to join the priesthood at one point in his life, so this Photoshopping is actually fairly fitting.
Childish Gambone Player
This Photoshopping tweaks William Sidney Mount’s The Bone Player replacing the original subject with Donald Glover. We wonder if Mr Glover would have been this happy to perform for audiences in this way.
