Most big cities are affected by the pandemic with several versions of lockdowns and quarantines in place. Budapest is no exception: right now there's a curfew between 8 pm and 5 am every day. The inner parts of the capital of Hungary had started getting busy this time and now it's getting empty in a matter of minutes every evening.
I'm a Budapest-based photographer and saddened by the emptiness of my beloved, and with no one around to shoot, I simply cut people from the classical paintings from the medieval, renaissance, and classical era and filled the streets with their help. Using the databases of the city's Museums (for example The Museum Of Fine Arts) and Photoshop skills, I inserted the men and women of these long-gone historical periods.
These lesser-known, but still wonderful paintings include one from Goya, a famous Dutch family of winemakers, and even Jesus Christ from an almost forgotten medieval piece.
#1 Pál Szinyei Merse: Lady In Violet
5points
#2 Aelbert Cuyp: The Sam Family
5points
#3 Nicolas Colombel: Hagar In The Desert
4points
#4 Goya: The Water Carrier
4points
#5 Luca Giordano: The Flight Into Egypt
4points
#6 Lucas Cranach: The Ill-Matched Couple
4points
#7 Pierre Mignard: Clio
3points
#8 Arnold Böcklin: Spring Evening
3points
#9 Jacob Jordaens: Adam And Eve
2points
#10 Pedro Sánches: The Entombment
2points
#11 Fra Diamante: Virgin Mary On The Throne
2points
During these challenging times in Budapest, the creative use of historical imagery on urban canvases echoes a similar spirit found in projects that bring museum art into everyday public spaces. This approach revitalizes classical artworks by placing them where modern city life unfolds, much like initiatives that transform forgotten pieces into street-level masterpieces.
For a deeper understanding of how classical art can be reimagined outside museum walls, explore this unique urban art reinterpretation.