Rewind

Posted on Feb 25, 2020

This Artist Shows Us What Historical Figures Would Look Like If They Were Alive Today, And I Am Obsessed

Marie Antoinette as a millennial?

by Mike Spohr

BuzzFeed Staff

Becca Saladin, 29, is the graphic designer behind Royalty Now, a project where she photo manipulates historical figures into what they'd look like if they were alive today!

Here, for example, is what Abraham Lincoln might look like today...

Here is what Mona Lisa — the subject of Leonardo da Vinci's famous portrait — might look like in 2020:

And here's what Egyptian queen Nefertiti might look like as a present-day woman:

Saladin tells BuzzFeed that she was inspired to start this project because portraits of her favorite historical figures "always look flat, sick, and, of course, dressed in period hair and costume that we don't relate with today."

She's since given us a modern-day vision of Anne's husband, King Henry VIII:

Depicted Marie Antoinette as a millennial:

And created this modern-day Benjamin Franklin:

Saladin does her best to base her photo manipulations on contemporary portraits of the historical figures to ensure they look as much like they actually looked as possible.

Saladin also does a lot of research before starting. She discovered, for example, that Alexander the Great had heterochromia (different colored eyes) and incorporated that into her work.

Saladin says, "I always struggled with finding a true hobby, so this has been such a fun creative outlet for me. It's really cool to have found a hobby that combines my passions for both art and history."

Ever wonder what Napoleon might look like today? Well, now you know.

Ditto for Cleopatra:

And badly behaved Roman emperor Caligula:

Saladin's growing Instagram now has nearly 100,000 followers. She says, "I think the work strikes a chord because we all feel a bit disconnected from these stately portraits staring out at us. It's cool to humanize them."

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This Artist Shows Us What Historical Figures Would Look Like If They Were Alive Today, And I Am Obsessed

Becca Saladin, 29, is the graphic designer behind Royalty Now, a project where she photo manipulates historical figures into what they'd look like if they were alive today!

Here, for example, is what Abraham Lincoln might look like today...

Here is what Mona Lisa — the subject of Leonardo da Vinci's famous portrait — might look like in 2020:

And here's what Egyptian queen Nefertiti might look like as a present-day woman:

Saladin tells BuzzFeed that she was inspired to start this project because portraits of her favorite historical figures "always look flat, sick, and, of course, dressed in period hair and costume that we don't relate with today."

She's since given us a modern-day vision of Anne's husband, King Henry VIII:

Depicted Marie Antoinette as a millennial:

And created this modern-day Benjamin Franklin:

Saladin does her best to base her photo manipulations on contemporary portraits of the historical figures to ensure they look as much like they actually looked as possible.

Saladin also does a lot of research before starting. She discovered, for example, that Alexander the Great had heterochromia (different colored eyes) and incorporated that into her work.

Saladin says, "I always struggled with finding a true hobby, so this has been such a fun creative outlet for me. It's really cool to have found a hobby that combines my passions for both art and history."

Ever wonder what Napoleon might look like today? Well, now you know.

Ditto for Cleopatra:

And badly behaved Roman emperor Caligula:

Saladin's growing Instagram now has nearly 100,000 followers. She says, "I think the work strikes a chord because we all feel a bit disconnected from these stately portraits staring out at us. It's cool to humanize them."

"History isn't just a series of stories, it was real people with real feelings. I think the work brings people a step closer to that."

"It's not all serious, though," Saladin says. "At the end of the day, I'm glad it's something fun for people to enjoy."

Check out Saladin's Royalty Now Patreon page.

This Artist Shows Us What Historical Figures Would Look Like If They Were Alive Today, And I Am Obsessed

Becca Saladin, 29, is the graphic designer behind Royalty Now, a project where she photo manipulates historical figures into what they'd look like if they were alive today!

Here, for example, is what Abraham Lincoln might look like today...

Here is what Mona Lisa — the subject of Leonardo da Vinci's famous portrait — might look like in 2020:

And here's what Egyptian queen Nefertiti might look like as a present-day woman:

Saladin tells BuzzFeed that she was inspired to start this project because portraits of her favorite historical figures "always look flat, sick, and, of course, dressed in period hair and costume that we don't relate with today."

She's since given us a modern-day vision of Anne's husband, King Henry VIII:

Depicted Marie Antoinette as a millennial:

And created this modern-day Benjamin Franklin:

Saladin does her best to base her photo manipulations on contemporary portraits of the historical figures to ensure they look as much like they actually looked as possible.

Saladin also does a lot of research before starting. She discovered, for example, that Alexander the Great had heterochromia (different colored eyes) and incorporated that into her work.

Saladin says, "I always struggled with finding a true hobby, so this has been such a fun creative outlet for me. It's really cool to have found a hobby that combines my passions for both art and history."

Ever wonder what Napoleon might look like today? Well, now you know.

Ditto for Cleopatra:

And badly behaved Roman emperor Caligula:

Saladin's growing Instagram now has nearly 100,000 followers. She says, "I think the work strikes a chord because we all feel a bit disconnected from these stately portraits staring out at us. It's cool to humanize them."

"History isn't just a series of stories, it was real people with real feelings. I think the work brings people a step closer to that."

"It's not all serious, though," Saladin says. "At the end of the day, I'm glad it's something fun for people to enjoy."

Check out Saladin's Royalty Now Patreon page.

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