French Artist Adds Celebrities Into Classical Paintings

1. Snoop Dogg

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French artist Kyes has become well-known for their Neo-Classical paintings, which reimagine modern celebrities, through the lens of a 17th-century oil painting. Their collection features 100+ celebrities, and is continuing to grow. One of the celebrities featured, is Hip-Hop legend: Snoop Dogg. In Snoop's painting, he is dressed like an upper-class, Georgian gentleman, and is accompanied by his trusty four-legged friend. Kyes' unique artistic technique, also gives the overall painting an 'antique' look.

2. Johnny Depp

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Another celebrity within the series, is well-known actor (and musician): Johny Depp. Kyes digital technique of using Photoshop, is what really opens up the artistic possibilities for each painting. Johnny's painting still manages to capture his unique character, whilst transforming him into a dapper, Victorian gentleman. Kyes has even included small details that really bring the piece to life, such as: Johnny's ear piercings, Kyes' signature in paint-strokes and the reimagined 'date' of the painting.

3. Madonna

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Next up in the series, is pop icon: Madonna. For each celebrity, Kyes' color palette changes slightly, to reflect the personality and characteristics of the celebrity. Madonna's painting captures her wild side, whilst maintaining her elegance and beauty. She can be seen wearing a bright, floral and lace fascinator, alongside a lilac chiffon dress. For accessories, she also has a string of pearls and diamonds around her neck. Kyes has painted her with a slightly sultry expression, which brings your focus to her eyes, lips and iconic beauty mark.

4. Hayao Miyazaki

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Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese artist and animator, who is the creative mind behind the worlds of Studio Ghibli e.g. 'Howl's Moving Castle', 'Ponyo' and 'Spirited Away'. Kyes' artistic reimagining of Hayao, also includes characters from his movies and animations, which is a really interesting detail. Kyes has painted Hayao in upper-class Georgian clothing, which accentuates his stature and overall character. Hayao's portrait, is probably one of the most elegant from the overall series, and suits his personality the best.

5. Rihanna

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The next celebrity in the series, is Barbados-born singer: Rihanna. Kyes has reimagined the singer in a way that upholds her natural beauty, whilst showing her through a historical lens. Compared to some of the other paintings in the series, Rihanna's doesn't seem to be as flamboyant or extravagant in any way. She isn't wearing any accessories or jewellery, and her clothing is relatively plain (with no added adornments). However, Kyes has successfully highlighted the singer's beauty, which outshines the plain nature of the overall painting.

6. Jimi Hendrix

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Sticking with musicians, we move onto the next celebrity; rock legend: Jimi Hendrix. Within this series, Kyes has reimagined celebrities that are living and deceased, which gives the collection great variety. For Kyes' reimagining, Jimi has been painted as a classical violinist. He is dressed in rich velvet and lace attire, adorned with golden accents, and is holding a violin (alongside sheet music) as if it were a guitar. His iconic afro has been given a softer shape and overall style, and he has a much more subdued stature.

7. Queen Latifah

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Another musician in the series is: Queen Latifah. Within the whole series, Queen Latifah's portrait doesn't seem to fit as well. There are certain elements of the piece that could have been changed more (in order to fit in with the classical theme), such as: the hair, makeup and general accessories. The main element of the piece that disconnects it from the classical theme, is Queen Latifah's hair. The styling doesn't fit the intended timeframe, and would have been improved if Kyes had included some kind of floral adornment (similar to Madonna's).

8. Mark Hamill

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Moving away from musicians, we try our attention to actors. One if the actors included within the series, is: Mark Hamill a.k.a Luke Skywalker. For Mark's portrait, Kyes has managed to blend the modern and classical elements of the piece wonderfully. Everything from his stance, clothing and backdrop bring the painting to life, and Kyes even managed to incorporate his character's (Luke's) lightsaber into the piece. The lightsaber brings great composition to the overall painting, and provides some variety to the color palette as well.

9. Carrie Fisher

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Staying within the world of Star Wars, we come to the next portrait: Carrie Fisher a.k.a Princess/General Leia. Kyes has managed to include defining characteristics of Carrie and her character, whilst maintaining the classical aspects of the painting. The piece includes Carrie's famous space-bun hairstyle, and she's styled in a white lace Victorian-era gown (that reflects the styling of Princess Leia). Carrie's overall expression fits perfectly well within the intended timeframe of the painting, as she has soft facial features and warm, rosy cheeks.

10. Mick Jagger

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Now, we're moving back to musicians with the next celebrity. This celebrity is another rock legend, and that legend is: Mick Jagger. The Rolling Stones frontman partially suits the Neo-classical style of the painting, but there are certain details that don't fit. For example, Mick Jagger's wrinkles seem to be in a higher definition (in comparison to the other aspects of the painting), which really disconnects Mick's face from the rest of the canvas. It is similar to Queen Latifah's portrait, as there are certain elements that stop the piece from being 'whole'.

11. Bjork

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Another celebrity featured in the series, is the Icelandic singer-songwriter: Bjork. Unlike some of the other portraits in the series, Bjork doesn't seem out-of-place within her's. She is dressed in a deep purple dress, with a white-lace shawl, alongside a hat and floral adornments. Kyes has painted her in a way that look as though she could be a farmer's wife, or someone that thrives within country living e.g. running a stall on a farmers' market. The color palette also brings a warmth to the picture, which breathes life into the overall piece.

12. Katy Perry

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As you've probably guessed, the majority of celebrities within Kyes' series are musicians. Including the next pop-sensation: Katy Perry. Kyes takes us further back in time for Katy's portrait, as it seems that she is dressed in Grecian attire (white, linen toga). The only element of the piece that doesn't quite fit the intended timeframe, is Katy's airbrushed skin and overall makeup. The lack of texture within her face, makes the digital aspect of the work more noticeable, and distracts you from other aspects of the piece.

13. Eminem

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Kyes transports us back to the medieval age with the next portrait, which portrays rap star Eminem as a druid. This portrait is has much darker and muted color palette, in comparison to some of the other portraits within the series. In the portrait, Eminem is holding some form of drinking gourd, is dressed in dark tattered robes and is shrouded in a hood. The darker aesthetic of this portrait, seems to fit Marshall's characteristics, overall personality and reflects the type of messaging you can depict from his music and lyricism.

14. Ice Cube

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Staying within the world of Hip-Hop and Rap, we move onto the next portrait. This portrait includes former N.W.A member, Ice Cube. His portrait features his signature lip curl, whilst he is dressed in luxurious Georgian attire. There are other small details that bring the image to life, such as: the golden rings adorning Ice Cube's hands, the paintbrushes in the background of the image and the general backdrop of the image. The overall color palette is relatively muted, but this helps push the focus onto the forefront of the image: Ice Cube.

15. Adele

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Another celebrity that suits the Neo-Classical makeover, is British singer-songwriter: Adele. Kyes has perfectly balanced the two timeframes of this piece, by selecting a suitable color palette, and general composition for the piece. Adele's portrait has earthy tones that really accentuate the singer's eyes. These tones are also complimented by Kyes' decision to paint Adele wearing a green, corseted dress (with a white lace shawl, and golden accents). The texture of the painting is what pulls the entire piece together.

16. Billie Eilish

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Adding to the list of musicians within the series, is American singer-songwriter: Billie Eilish. Kyes has kept the color palette for this portrait relatively simple, which actually makes it more impactful. Billie's hair draws focus to the image, as it provides the overall portrait with great contrast (silver hair against a muted background). Billie's clothing is also a focal point, as Kyes has reimagined her to be wearing a deep purple gown, embroidered with white flowers and frilled hem. the use of purple really compliments Billie's silver hair.

17. Donald Glover (Childish Gambino)

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The next celebrity within the series is actor and rapper: Donald Glover, also known by his stage name 'Childish Gambino'. Something slightly different about Donald's portrait, is the addition of a more detailed background/backdrop. Donald is in New York City, as we can see The Statue of Liberty behind him (alongside some small boats coming into port). He is dressed in black, white and red which compliment the rich tones of the overall image, and highlight the grandeur of the Donald's overall stance, expression etc.

18. Amy Winehouse

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Another legendary musician that has gone under the Neo-Classical makeover, is British singer-songwriter: Amy Winehouse. Similarly to some of the other portraits within the series, Amy seems to suit the intended timeframe (and overall styling) of the artwork. Kyes has painted her wearing a dark gown, with white embroidery and fur trim. She still has her iconic beehive hairstyle, which includes her blonde highlight and is adorned with a small selection of flowers. Every small detail has been included in this piece, and really captures Amy's character.

19. Michael Jackson

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Next up in the series is: Michael Jackson. Kyes has reimagined a Jackson Five era Michael Jackson within this portrait. He seems to be some kind of royalty, as he is dressed in a highly detailed jacket, alongside a sash, medal and lace cravat. Michael still has his afro, but it has been styled as if he were an upper-class/royal, Georgian gentleman. Kyes has also opted for a neutral backdrop, as it really brings the smaller details into the forefront of the image, such as: the gold medal's engraving, the detailing of the jacket's embroidery and the rich colors of the clothing.

20. Kurt Cobain

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Ex-Nirvana frontman, Kurt Cobain, is another musical addition to the series. Kurt also suits the Neo-Classical reimagining, and it's definitely the fine details that pull the image together. Kurt is dressed in deep brown, white and gold which reflect his iconic grunge style from the 90's. The only detail that partially disconnects the image, is his hair. Obviously, Kurt was known for his long hair, which he would always have down, but the image would be more complete if Kyes has painted his with his hair tied back (similar to the Georgian style of the other portraits).

21. Daft Punk

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The next portrait, actually features the French musical duo: Daft Punk. The main focal point of this image, is of course, the duo's golden headwear. Kyes has reimagined the pair as a couple of medieval knights, dressed in their full fighting regalia. The small details of the armour are impressive, as well as the 'polished' effect of the metal (which includes the headwear). Although the overall color palette is fairly muted and simple, Kyes has managed to successfully highlight the key details without making the overall piece too elaborate.

22. Erykah Badu

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American singer-songwriter, Erykah Badu, is the next celebrity in the series. Erykah's portrait is probably one of the more extravagant within this series, as you're met with an array of rich colors and details. The clothing Kyes has painted her in, is definitely some of the most detailed and overtly regal. Erykah is dressed in a purple, corseted gown complete with golden embroidery, a golden belt (sash) and layers of white (also embroidered) lace. She is also wearing white, elbow-length gloves, and a red hat (adorned with gold details and feathers).

23. Andre 3000

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Following on from Erykah Badu, we come to American rap artist: Andre 3000. Andre's portrait definitely has a much brighter color palette, and overall composition, in comparison to some of the other portraits in the series. He is dressed in rich white, red and gold alongside a straw hat. His stance, expression and posture give the impression that he is an upper-class member of society (possibly on his way to an annual ball or societal meeting/function). The use of white within this image, really highlights the right aspects of the overall piece.

24. Al Pacino

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Going back to the world of acting, we come to our next celebrity: Al Pacino. Kyes has reimagined Al Pacino as his iconic character (Tony Montana), from the cult classic movie: 'Scarface'. He is in a Napoleon stance, with his hand inside his waistcoat, and he can be seen smoking a large cigar. Although the clothing, color palette and overall texture of the image fit the intended vision, Pacino's face just looks too modern to fit the aesthetic. Aside from this, the overall image fits the Neo-Classical aesthetic.

25. Anya Taylor-Joy

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Anya Taylor-Joy is the next celebrity to undergo the Neo-Classical makeover, and she is another celebrity that suits the overall aesthetic and styling. The composition of the image, as well as other creative choices, give the impression that she is a mid-century French socialite. Although the clothing isn't too extravagant, Anya's posture and expression signify her (hypothetical) societal standing. Amazingly, Kyes has (yet again) been able to create a varied and interesting image, with a highly muted (and slightly) restricted palette.

26. Jay-Z and Beyonce

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Moving on, we come to another duo portrait. The next pair are the musical power-couple: Jay-Z and Beyonce. This particular portrait has a lot more detail within the foreground, and seems to place the couple just behind this. They're both dressed in luxurious clothing, with Jay's attire taking centre stage. He is dressed in a red jacket with golden embroidery, and a black and white lace accents. Beyonce on the other hand, is dressed in a tiered, white lace dress; with an ornate necklace around her neck.

27. Lizzo

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Lizzo is the next musician within the series, and her portrait includes elements that both do and do not fit into the Neo-Classical style. For example, her positioning, posture, expression, clothing and hair definitely suit the overall aesthetic of the piece. Whereas, her face looks as though it has been cropped; and pasted on top of the image. The higher definition of her face, paired with the makeup, separate this element of the image from the rest. Despite this, the overall composition and texture of the piece, are what pull it together somewhat.

28. Christopher Walken

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Moving on, we come to perhaps the most convincing portrait within the series. This portrait depicts legendary actor: Christopher Walken. Kyes has reimagined him as an upper-class Edwardian gentleman (most likely a member of a royal family). Christopher is dressed in a rich green and gold velvet jacket, with a cream waistcoat and white lace cravat. His hair is styled in the traditional way of an Edwardian gentleman, and he seems to be holding some kind of scroll or telescope in his black-gloved hand.

29. Lil' Wayne

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Jumping back to musicians, we come to the next portrait, American rap artist: Lil' Wayne. For Lil' Wayne's portrait, he has been depicted as some kind of scholar and/or explorer sat next to a stack of books, with a boat on open water in the background. This portrait definitely has a much more varied color palette, as Kyes has incorporated more vibrant colors e.g. turquoise, green, yellow, blue and purple. The use of these colors definitely give the portrait a breath of life, and reflects Wayne's colorful personality.

30. Millie Bobby Brown

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The final celebrity within this selection, is the British actress (best known for her role in 'Stranger Things'): Millie Bobby Brown. Millie's portrait is relatively simplistic, in comparison to some other portraits, but it is still just as impactful. Kyes has included a callback to her character Eleven, with the inclusion of blood running from her nose. The use of such a vibrant red for this element, gives the overall image amazing contrast, especially since the remaining colors are neutral e.g. white and brown.