While you’re scrolling through this list and chuckling away, there’s another person completely horrified that anyone could possibly "vandalise" a classical art piece by turning it into a meme.
They might even argue that doing so devalues the original piece, and makes a mockery of the creative talent that went into it. While at the same time putting expensive artworks into the grubby hands of ordinary plebs, instead of the elite that can afford to buy them.
But that's the whole beauty of classic art memes, others will argue. They make the art accessible and relatable to the masses, and spark dialogue between people whether or not they're art buffs.
"Despite the fact that these memes make a joke of the classical paintings, it is also important to recognize that there is an educational aspect to the memefication of such art as well; these paintings are made more accessible to a larger group of people," notes Diggit Magazine.
The art that once was only available to the elite and could only be viewed in museums, is now traveling across the internet, with a different purpose (entertain) and imbued with new literacies (remixed)," Nguyen says. "Today, classical art is available to just about everyone. All you need is a digital device and a sense of humor."
