Accidental Renaissance isn't just about pictures that look like Renaissance paintings. There are some rules behind whether or not a photo is "Accidental Renaissance." As per the subreddit's rules, a picture has to look like a Renaissance-style painting in "composition, style, lighting, and/or subject."
Generally, experts refer to the art movements from the 14th to the 17th century as the Renaissance period. But r/AccidentalRenaissance appreciates related art movements as well. They welcome pictures in the styles of Baroque, Neoclassicism, and Romanticism.
So, you take a pic that you think looks so good it looks like a Da Vinci painting and should be hanging in the Louvre. How can you tell if it's actually accidental Renaissance if you're not confident in your knowledge of art history? Well, don't fret, because the subreddit has some guidelines for that, too.
In terms of composition, a picture qualifies if it includes "triangular/pyramidal figures, dynamic, asymmetrical composition, foreshortening, and, of course, the use of the Fibonacci sequence or Golden Ratio." The subjects of the photos should be landscapes, people, or scenes that feature one or both of the aforementioned.
Lighting matters, too: if there is any sfumato (blurring or softening of outlines) or chiaroscuro (strong contrasts between light and dark), it's most likely accidental Renaissance.
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In a way, it might be easier to explain what does not constitute an accidental Renaissance picture. The community excludes photos where someone is merely recreating the poses from famous Renaissance works of art. "It is fine if a photo is posed or isn't completely spontaneous. It's the RENAISSANCE that is meant to be accidental," they clarify in their description box.
The subreddit does not accept paintings and drawings in general – the Renaissance would probably not be accidental in those cases. It's no place for memes or screenshots, like stills from media, newspaper clippings, magazines, and so on. Photos with added text or graphics are immediately disqualified as well. And, as would be expected from an art-related community, there's a strict no-AI policy.
Part of the beauty of Renaissance art is in the fact that it might be impossible to replicate. Some of the techniques used by the masters are no longer used by fellow artists. That might be hard to believe: in this day and age, when chatbots can act as (albeit terrible) therapists and robots are delivering us food, why can't we make art like we did during the Renaissance era?
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Some Renaissance artists used gold leaf on the surfaces of their artworks. The technique was called gold leafing, and it is still in practice today. However, Renaissance masters used it on frescoes, and modern restorers have a hard time replicating it to the success of the originals. Some Renaissance artists were able to make the gilded details sit on wet plaster without peeling or dulling. Today, experts think that they used a secret oil-resin binder, but it's unclear what material it was exactly.
