What the funniest memes based on the masterpieces of fine art tell us about

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

Perhaps skeptics frown their foreheads when faced with another joke on the network, created based on the masterpieces of world classics. However, this approach has solid advantages. First, young people, and in general the broad masses of the population, are introduced to the beautiful, albeit in such an ambiguous way. Secondly, looking at other works of art, it becomes clear that the guys knew how to have fun and had not only religious convictions, but also a sense of humor. And in such a modern Internet interpretation, they do find a second life.

"The Scream": a damned picture by Edvard Munch, but there are no cowardly ones on the Internet

Of course, even among the memes there are leaders of the classics of the world of fine arts. Even so, there is no equal to "The Scream" by Edvard Munch and "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci. Despite the fact that "Scream" tops the ratings of the most mystical paintings and is often called the damned, after the Internet creativity it is perceived quite differently. The entity on the bridge, however, even without the inscriptions of modern Internet users, perfectly expresses emotions in relation to this or that situation. Just a universal answer to any comment. Despite the fact that Edvard Munch lived at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, his painting perfectly embodies the emotions of his contemporaries, for example, from the price tags in supermarkets to the essentials.

Or from a change in weight after the holidays or prolonged self-isolation. When it suddenly turned out that the walk from the computer to the refrigerator turned out to be insufficient physical activity.

Or from an invigorating shower when the hot water was turned off. As they say, very soon in all apartments in the country.

Or when he went outside without a mask.

Mona Lisa as a space for creativity

Another masterpiece from which they make their masterpieces on the Internet right and left is Mona Lisa. Due to the fact that Gioconda's smile remains a secret, as well as her true emotions, the canvas opens boundless spaces for a flight of imagination. They even managed to connect it with the essence from the previous canvas. It turned out, by the way, not bad.

The craze for applications that allow you to make your own face practically a work of art with perfect skin and proportions has not spared Gioconda. Well, it’s not clear whether she’s smiling or not. And so everything is unambiguous. And the teeth are in place.

Well, or this is how the Mona Lisa would look ten days after she signed up on Instagram.

Well, the quarantine Mona Lisa. Or "Well, why are you attached to my smile?"

The suffering middle ages or "we understand each other perfectly"

Medieval mythology and visual arts would hardly have found understanding among contemporaries without Internet jokes. But no, all the most dull, suffering and most religious with rural scenes are actively used in the global network. The most relevant meme in modern conditions, for which you can come up with an infinite number of signatures. The original version sounds like "It seems that the main mortal sin of Judas was non-observance of personal space." Or, as it is now elegantly used to express "observance of social distance." Very comfortably. Don't "get away from me," but "keep social distance."

Complaining about remote control? See how grandpa got to school. A pair of wolves strung on a spear are still missing.

Another piece that fits perfectly into modern conditions. Tired of your own child, because you are locked in four walls with him? Do you feel like a bad mother about this? Nothing new, even women living in the Middle Ages experienced such emotions. Yes, somewhere between plague, fever, smallpox, fire and death.

By the way, the direction "the suffering Middle Ages", which has gained unexpected popularity over the past few years, appeared thanks to two students who, at lectures on medieval studies (historical science for the study of the European Middle Ages), rightly noted that in the illustrations of those years, all the heroes suffer, and in what something completely creepy for modern people in a form. Considering the fact that contemporaries also suffer from despondency, the students decided to play up this and attribute modern emotions to medieval images. It turned out ironic.

"Catism" or cats outside of time and space

Seals have long been firmly established not only in our apartments and hearts, but also in memes on the Internet. It is enough to hear "Natasha, get up" for a picture with cats above the sleeping mistress to appear in my head. They tell her the latest news, put pressure on the patient, in general, they do not deny themselves anything.

It's funny, but there is a medieval version of the popular picture. Feed your demons, Natasha.

Cats, as, of course, beautiful creatures, successfully replace even the Mona Lisa, not to mention the heroes of other paintings. They are beautiful, whatever one may say.

Classical art in this interpretation has become especially popular over the past few years, the whole point is that everyone can express themselves in this format, since social networks always respond to such trends. Memes, unlike works of art, do not have authors, but people's love and recognition are also provided. By the way, this tendency is especially widespread on the Russian-speaking Internet, namely medieval memes, perhaps because, according to the same Internet works, “Russia is for the sad,” but also ironic. Classical art has penetrated much deeper into our lives than we can imagine, for example, 10 words and phrases familiar today were invented by science fiction writers, we use them every day without knowing it.