The works you saw in art history class can seem rather distant. Nude angels dancing through Romanesque buildings, or despondent figures in flowing robes don’t have much in common with modern life. But what if they jumped into the contemporary world? That’s the question Ukrainian artist Alexey Kondakov has answered with his wonderful series “Art History in Contemporary Life”.
In each image Kondakov lifts the figures from Renaissance paintings, transporting them to our contemporary world to stand on street corners, sleep in the subway or ride the bus. With each fascinating juxtaposition the figures of classic art become more and more believable. The raw emotions become scenes from our daily life in a vibrant and sometimes chaotic urban environment.
Cesar van Everdingen’s Bacchus or Caravaggio’s David and Goliath seem far more believable when sharing the same commute as us, or blacking out after a late night bender.
(via fastco)