28 Hilarious Images Of Celebrities Photoshopped Into Renaissance Paintings

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(Pocket-lint) – Every year there’s a Photoshop contest on DesignCrowd where artists create shiny new works of art by putting celebrities in old Renaissance paintings.

The results are something really special. We’ve rounded up some of our favorites from the past few years for you to enjoy. If you like what you see, we highly recommend browsing the archives.

A portrait of a mother

This table may well be one of the oldest on our list. It dates back to around 1490 and shows Barbara Dürer, mother of the German painter Albrecht Dürer. The updated version featuring an improved and improved vision with Angelina Jolie in her place.

A romantic vision 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 which includes Anthony Hopkins. Not only because it looks stunning, but because the Photoshopper also went to the trouble of updating all the colors and hues in the image.

Brad Pitt the thinker

The original subject of this painting was Alexander von Humboldt was a polymath, geographer, naturalist, explorer and much more. He was a highly regarded German thinker and man of influence. His image has been replaced by Brad Pitt who looks much more mischievous, but certainly a bit more intellectual than usual.

Portrait of Christian Bale

The original oil painting here is believed to date from around 1600 and shows a portrait of Jorge Manuel Theotocopoulos by a Greek artist known as El Greco. The new version shows an amusing Christian Bale who looks suspiciously more like an angry vampire than a laid back painter.

A portrait of the mayor

The original oil painting, Portrait of Jakob Muffel, was painted by the German Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer in 1526 and shows the local burgomaster (mayor) of Nuremberg. Now updated and polished, it features a demure-looking Michael Cane.

A portrait of Gillian Anderson

There’s no denying that Gillian Anderson looks quite gorgeous on canvas, but what we really love is the effort this Photoshop editor has put into the settings. Including changes in skin tone, adding the necklace, and even accounting for different hairstyles.

Ludwig van Jagger

In a rather apt Photoshopping, an artist who goes by the name of Dm2 transformed this portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven by swapping the pianist with the founder of the Rolling Stones – Sir Mick Jagger.

Patrick Stewart in military costume

The original image here is a famous Rembrandt painting titled “An Old Man in Military Costume” and shows his father in his finery. It has been wonderfully updated here with Patrick Stewart beautifully done in the paint instead.

Portrait of the innocent Tom Cruise

The original oil painting was lovingly made 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 some point in his life, so this Photoshopping is actually pretty fitting.

Childish Gambone player

This Photoshopping tweaks William Sidney Mount’s The Bone Player by replacing the original subject with Donald Glover. We wonder if Mr. Glover would have been so happy to perform for the public in this way.

General-Field-Marshal Pitt

We love how regal this Photoshopping makes Brad Pitt look, seen here with full military gear, medals and all in place of Prince Pyotr Mikhailovich Volkonsky.

General Spock

Another classic painting of a famous general transformed into a new take on a modern celebrity. Leonard Nimoy certainly looks pretty special in full military gear.

Keanu Reeves behind closed doors

Keanu Reeves is breathtaking. Somehow even more so in a gorgeous, oil-painted dress. The original painting was Portrait of Madame F, by Edouard Louis Dubufe which was created in 1850. We wonder what the artist would think of the adjustments made to his painting.

Caravaggio and bean

This original image dates back to 1593 and shows one of the first self-portraits by the artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. This image is said to have been painted while the artist was extremely ill and made in a mirror. Reimagine with Mr Bean/Rowan Atkinson, the image certainly takes on more life.

A portrait of a young Amanda Seyfried

Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun painted a ‘Portrait of a Young Woman’ in 1797, over two hundred years later Photoshop whiz thejohndevil updated it with the likeness of American actress and singer-songwriter Amanda Seyfried. This one is pretty compelling – like those pictures that claim to show celebrities who never age.

A young Emma Watson

A young woman is painted undressing in front of a bath in 1900 by William-Adolphe Bouguereau. Later, she is reimagined with the face of a young Emma Watson. Harry Potter probably would have enjoyed this one.

Portrait of a young scholar

This original painting from 1597 shows a young scholar posing for a portrait. The modern reimagining shows actor Jude Law sporting one hell of a gorgeous beard.

Gibson’s Wolfgang

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a talented writer capable of creating works of poetry, prose and memoirs as well as treatises on botany, anatomy and color. This painting of him by Joseph Karl Stieler from 1832 shows a well-worn and well-read man of mark. The update vision features a cheerful Mel Gibson, presumably laughing at a well-written script.

A self-portrait of Stallone

Another famous Rembrandt painting gets the Photoshop treatment and is updated with the likeness of another well-known celebrity. There’s no doubt that Stallone looks great in the oil.

Richard Wagner vs Huge Laurie

This quite magnificent portrait of the famous German composer Richard Wagner was created by Cäsar Willich in 1862. In a way, it suits actor Huge Laurie perfectly. One wonders what he looks at with so much admiration.

A portrait of Sir Elton John

Dutch artist Rembrandt was a prolific painter and is, even hundreds of years after his death, considered one of the greatest visual artists to ever live. One of his many works included this portrait of an old lady, believed to be Aechje Claesdr. She wasn’t a particularly happy woman at first glance, but she probably had to sit around for a long time to be painted like this. Elton John, on the other hand, likes to be the center of attention.

Sir Edward Thomas Hardy

Tom Hardy certainly looks stunning reimagined in oil painting form. The original portrait by Gaspard Schoppins dates from around 1605 and somehow matches Hardy’s face perfectly.

Seth Rogan in a dress

It’s actually not too hard to believe that Seth Rogan would dress like this. And it looks fantastic too.

Portrait of lady of honor

We have a real soft spot for Emma Stone and somehow she looks even more gorgeous as lady-in-waiting circa 1625. It sure looks like she’s doing more harm than the original subject of the painting. We also appreciate the editor’s efforts to Photoshopping – even adding oil paint lines to Emma’s face.

The spanish singer

Many of these artists put a lot of effort into their image editing. It’s not just about taking the original oil painting and opening a new face on the subject, but also updating and improving the colors and the environment. This original painting “The Spanish Singer” was painted on canvas by Édouard Manet in 1860 and then enhanced by CheapShotInc with the addition of Woody Harrelson.

Portrait of Steve Carrell

French painter François-Xavier Fabre painted this fantastic portrait of Edward Fox Fitzgerald in 1815. Two centuries later, Photoshop master Fichtenbrenner replaced his face with that of the hilarious Steve Carrell.

American Gothic with the Wests

A classic American painting from the 1930s shows a man and his daughter standing with a stern look on their faces, while holding a pitchfork outside their home. The fun Photoshopped version features an ever-stern Kayne West and his wife Kim Kardashian.

deadpool deadpan

Ryan Reynolds fits perfectly into the theme of these renaissance style paintings. He certainly looks funnier and cheekier than Baldassare Castiglione, the original subject of Raffaello Sanzio’s original painting.

The original painting was considered one of the greatest of the Renaissance period. But in our mind, the updated version is even more appealing.

Written by Adrian Willings.