It’s not easy to create a masterpiece, so it’s even harder to capture one by accident. But clearly many people manage, as the Accidental Renaissance subreddit has amassed an impressive 1.3 million members, or “accidental artists,” as they call them.
By the group’s definition, “Accidental Renaissance is a photo that inadvertently resembles a painting similar in composition, style, lighting, and/or subject to Renaissance-style art.” The moderators also specify that photos resembling many related art movements, such as Baroque, Neo-classicism, and Romantic, are all appreciated and welcomed within this group.
To learn more about Renaissance art from an expert, we got in touch with Stephanie Storey, bestselling author of Oil and Marble: A Novel of Leonardo and Michelangelo and Raphael, Painter in Rome. She was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and share her thoughts on this style of art.
"I'm OBSESSED with Renaissance art," Stephanie says. "I have been ever since I studied abroad in Italy while getting my degree in Art History. Decades later, I still write whole novels about the stuff."
We also wanted to know what Stephanie loves most about this era of art. "I love the fact that these paintings were made– by human hands, with human eyes– LONG before the advent of photography," she explained. "Art was the only way artists could capture the world and their perspective on it. I love the vivid colors, the pulsing energy, the idealism, and the expression of real, human emotions all with a flick of a paintbrush."
So what are some of the trademark features of Renaissance art?
"Vivid, rich, jewel-tone colors, of course, which I love," Stephanie told Bored Panda. "And it has to be an ideal picture; those people, those settings, those colors, those clothes, they're all PERFECT—or at least trying to be."
"But there's also a growing individualism in Renaissance art– even though these people are IDEAL, they are uniquely people," she continued. "Think of Mona Lisa's one-of-a-kind smile; Adam's limp hand in The Creation of Adam; Plato in Raphael's School of Athens being 'played' by Leonardo da Vinci... These are all unique people, not cookie-cutter cliches."
"There's also always an attempt to capture perspective," Stephanie shared. "During the Renaissance, artists were desperately trying to get away from the FLATNESS of Medieval art, so you must have depth in a Renaissance picture."
"And: harmony, harmony, harmony. It's ALL about balance and grace," she explained. "You can't have a Renaissance picture without a sense of extraordinary balance. Lots more, but those seem like my top highlights!"
We also asked Stephanie if she had any advice for photographers who want to capture the Renaissance style in their work.
"Focus on vivid, jewel-toned colors with lots of emphasis on light and shadow. Always find a way to call attention to the depth in your photo," she says. "Pay attention to balance and classical lines: a Renaissance picture is well-composed. It's not dashed off. It's CAREFUL."
