Art Reloaded: Modern Remakes and Reinterpretations of Classic Masterpieces

We could also say the Art of the remake or d' apres to define the tendency of some artists to take up famous masterpieces, in their own reinterpretations. Quote, recycling or mentioning: today's art does not stop taking up the classics under the pretext of paying homage to them. But this tendency of artists to refer to the past is not something new, the entire Renaissance was undeniably built from a cultural point of view on the assimilation of ancient models, which provided the norms and principles of ideal beauty. Thus, for example, Raphael in Rome was inspired by Greek and Roman sculptures, and later, Rubens or Bernini were inspired by the works of Michelangelo . At the beginning of the 19th century, a considerable evolution occurs, partly due to technological progress, the transformation of the status of the artist, but also to a general democratization of society, which now allows easier access to great works, these being included in various exhibitions, displayed in various galleries. The evolution of technology allowed the dissemination, through engraving techniques and later through photography, of many famous works.

With the artistic Avant-garde of the 20th century, a new language was invented with a unique abstract repertoire, compositional lines, different forms of expression. Dadaists , for example, considered the art of the past to be outdated, even creating a vandalized Mona Lisa to support this idea.

We will now present some examples of masterpieces reworked by contemporary artists:

Of course, one of the most famous works, which has probably been most repeated, copied, but never equaled, is Leonardo da Vinci 's Mona Lisa (circa 1503). Variants of this work can be found from early on, starting from Leonardo 's workshop , with his apprentices and students.

Other revivals followed, starting, as mentioned above, with the Dadaists , more specifically with Marcel Duchamp .

Jacques Louis DAVID 's Marat Assassinated (1793) is also reprised by contemporary artists, by Richard Jackson in The Laundry Room (Death of Marat) (2009), which transposes David 's work into three-dimensional volumes .

In the 1960s, the explosion of consumer society facilitated the development of a mass culture and a revaluation of popular culture. Thus, artists took up iconic figures from art and joined or substituted them with movie stars, comic book characters, etc.

The painting considered scandalous at the time, Luncheon on the Grass (1863) by Edouard Manet has also seen a series of reinterpretations, Manet herself taking inspiration for this theme from Titian's work, Pastoral Concert (circa 1510).

The paintings of Joseph Mallord Turner have also been the target of metamorphoses by contemporary artists. Here is an eloquent example.

Francis Bacon revisits the portrait of Pope Innocent X painted by Velazquez in a seemingly immaterial manner.

This topic of remakes or d' apres remains inexhaustible for artists of all kinds, from simply quoting the old masters, to paying homage to them or even parodying and disintegrating old art.