16 street photos that unexpectedly recreate the Renaissance

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

When we point the camera at a random object on the street or a person, we usually don't expect much. But among the huge sea of boring photos that fill the film or the memory of our smartphone, there is one and only one that will stand out to us from the general background. Call it a miracle or a pleasant surprise. If suddenly it seems to you that the picture is superior to others in composition, style, lighting and somehow resembles a classic painting, perhaps you have just encountered a "accidental" Renaissance.

There is even an Accidental Renaissance community on the Internet. There, people post their random shots, which resemble the classic paintings of the great masters of the Renaissance. Subreddit, created in 2014, now has seven hundred and forty-eight thousand members. People who like to look for dramatic compositions, complex narratives, intricate lines and painterly colors in common everyday shots.

The Renaissance (Renaissance, Renaissance) was an era of genuine intellectual and artistic flourishing. This period fell on the 14-16 centuries and had a tremendous impact on all spheres of life and European culture.

The classical values of the ancient world taught people harmony in everything. Man himself, as the crown of creation, was the center of everything that happened. One of the most prominent representatives of this movement was the artist, architect, poet, mathematician and scientist - Leonardo da Vinci.

The photographs, which bear a completely random resemblance to Renaissance art, have been published online and have been a success. This gave rise to this subreddit. Despite the fact that in fact photography is technically more similar to baroque art in color and lighting.

Over the past six years, the community has developed in several directions. Even the very definition of "Renaissance" has expanded. It now encompasses art styles from the 14th-19th centuries as the term grew in popularity.

Moderation rules have been simplified. Now the scope of what can be considered the Renaissance has been expanded. The community has several "brotherly" subreddits. Among them, Pet_Renaissance is a place where people can post art photographs of pets.

With regard to Renaissance photographs, in general, the emphasis is on symmetry, balance, saturated colors. Although lighter and brighter colors were used during the early Renaissance, while the late Renaissance generally used darker, more saturated colors, they were always saturated rather than diluted. The emphasis is on linear perspective and leading lines that help create a more three-dimensional image, balanced composition and many references to classical Greek and Roman art and architecture.

There are no professional art critics in the team of moderators, some have several courses in art history, as well as an interest in fine art and history, and a lot of enthusiasm. You can just enjoy other people's work, or you can participate yourself. After all, art is a way of knowing the world.

If you are interested in the work presented in the material, read our article on how the artist transfers the heroes of classic paintings to ironic surreal collages.