35 Times People Caught ‘Accidental Renaissance’ On Camera (New Pics)

According to the subreddit’s description, accidental Renaissance refers to “a photo that inadvertently resembles a painting similar in composition, style, lighting, and/or subject to Renaissance-style art.”

But the community doesn’t restrict itself to the period between the 14th-17th centuries only; they are accepting of pictures resembling other art movements— Baroque, Neo-classicism, and Romantic—too, which extend the timeframe from the 14th to the 19th century.

Started a decade ago, the subreddit has already amassed over a million Renaissance art enthusiasts.

Originating in Italy, the Renaissance—French for the word rebirth—was the time of the revival of interest in the classical learning and values of ancient Greece and Rome, the History Channel notes. It was a time when people’s curiosity resulted in a great deal of development, from exploration of new continents, to such inventions as the microscope, the telescope, the printing press, and even the good old pencil!

According to the History Channel, the Renaissance was an especially significant time in regards to art. Just like the pictures shared on the subreddit, Renaissance artwork is characterized by encapsulating the experience of the individual and the marvels of the natural world. Emerging in the 14th century, the art movement reportedly peaked in the junction of the 15th-16th centuries, and presented the world with such art aficionados as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, just to name a few.

One of the three aforementioned masterminds, Leonardo da Vinci, was born in 1452 in Anchiano, a hamlet in the comune of Vinci in Italy. As a young teenager, at 14 years old, he started a nearly decade-long apprenticeship to an important figure at the time, sculptor, painter, and goldsmith Andrea del Verrocchio.

The apprenticeship is believed to be the time when da Vinci acquired knowledge in such fields as mechanics, carpentry, metallurgy, architectural drafting, and chemistry. Over the course of his career, the mastermind created not only a number of iconic paintings, such as the Last Supper, Lady with an Ermine, or Mona Lisa, but sketches for all sorts of machines, too, such as the ornithopter.

Another genius of the Renaissance period, Michelangelo, was born in the village of Caprese near Florence, Italy (which is now named Caprese Michelangelo in honor of the artist), in 1475. He is believed to be the first artist to be recognized during his lifetime and his works are praised to this day, attracting millions of visitors each year. If you’re wondering what said works are, you must have heard of the Statue of David, which is now held in Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, or the iconic Madonna della Pietà (otherwise known simply as Pietà), located in the St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

Last but not least of the three iconic names from the Renaissance period, Raphael, too, left a significant footprint in the history of art, over less than four decades of his life. Born in the city of Urbino, in the Marches region of Italy, he learned the basics of painting from his father, a painter himself, Giovanni Santi. After the death of his father, at the age of only 11 years old, Raphael took over managing his father’s workshop and seemingly surpassed his success, becoming one of the finest painters in town. Over time, Raphael evolved into one of the greatest Renaissance painters, creating such masterpieces as Sistine Madonna, The Transfiguration, and Disputation of the Most Holy Sacrament.

Whether it’s da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, or any other artist that the picture reminds the photographer of, if it has a Renaissance flavor to it, it is definitely worth sharing with the ‘Accidental Renaissance’ community. And if you haven’t yet taken a renaissance-like picture yourself, but you enjoy browsing the works of others, check out our previous edition on the subreddit next or take a look at these classical painting-based memes to marvel at a different kind of genius.