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We take plenty of photos but for most of us, it's pretty difficult to get good at it. No matter how hard we're trying. Others, however, can produce a spectacular image even when they're not.

The subreddit r/AccidentalRenaissance is the biggest online "gallery" for these works — it showcases photographs that inadvertently resemble well-composed Renaissance-style art.

"We recognize there are many related art movements between the 14th and 19th centuries, including Baroque, Neo-classicism, Romantic, Dutch Golden Age, etc. All of these styles are appreciated and welcomed within this subreddit!" the moderators of r/AccidentalRenaissance write.

Following up on our earlier publications (part 1, part2), we put together a new list of the best masterpieces the subreddit has to offer. Enjoy.

#1

Stuck My Arm In The Coop To Sneak A Pic Of The Hens Settling Down At Dusk One Night- “Magic Hour”

Stuck My Arm In The Coop To Sneak A Pic Of The Hens Settling Down At Dusk One Night- “Magic Hour”

hawws12 Report

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#2

National Park In Italy

National Park In Italy

RobinBSad Report

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Otter
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Add a few naked ladies and wisps of silk, and it'll be a perfect Rococco landscape!

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To further explain Accidental Renaissance, the people who look after the subreddit provide these descriptions:

  • Composition: triangular/pyramidal figures, dynamic, asymmetrical, foreshortening, and, of course, the use of the Fibonacci sequence or Golden Ratio;
  • Lighting: Featuring use of sfumato (blurring/softening of outlines) and/or chiaroscuro (strong contrasts between light and dark);
  • Subject: Landscapes, people, scenes that feature one or both of the above.
#3

Billie Holiday Performing "Strange Fruit" In NYC's First Ever Integrated Club, 1939

Billie Holiday Performing "Strange Fruit" In NYC's First Ever Integrated Club, 1939

Bootypoppanties_vevo Report

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WilvanderHeijden
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Strange fruit is about the racial hate and the lynching of African Americans. Read the lyrics and look at that "lovely vintage picture" again. https://genius.com/Billie-holiday-strange-fruit-lyrics

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#4

This Candid Of My Hubby During The Texas Blackout

This Candid Of My Hubby During The Texas Blackout

Hell00-Sweetie Report

A representative of the mod team, u/Openminded_skeptic, told Bored Panda that "the most popular subjects appear to be scenes with crowds of people doing things like protesting, marching for a cause, or otherwise expressing themselves; highly saturated, photos of people, livestock, or interesting architecture featuring chiaroscuro and many times sun or light rays highlighting a portion of the photo; and photos featuring politicians or world leaders seem to be fairly popular."

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#5

The Winner Of The Miami Street Photography Festival Award By Paul Kessel

The Winner Of The Miami Street Photography Festival Award By Paul Kessel

jas070 Report

As of today, the community has 816K members, or as they call themselves, universalis personae. u/Openminded_skeptic describes them "as passionate and invested in the subreddit and the subject of Renaissance-esque photography, sometimes to the point of getting into spirited debates in the comment section on whether a particular photo is or is not either accidental or Renaissance!"

u/Openminded_skeptic attributes the popularity of the subreddit to the universal appeal of the period. "Renaissance-era art was really about humanity's rebirth, culturally, economically, politically, and artistically," they said. "I think that's something that never goes out of style."

#7

Vermeer Vibes

Vermeer Vibes

fraidycait Report

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Otter
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What shall we call this lost masterpiece, other than "Girl with a Mop"? That's just too inelegant!

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Indeed. Art, architecture, and science were closely linked during the Renaissance, and often these fields even fused together.

For example, artists like da Vinci incorporated scientific principles, such as anatomy into their work, so they could recreate the human body with extraordinary precision. Architects such as Filippo Brunelleschi immersed themselves in mathematics to accurately engineer and design immense buildings with expansive domes. And scientific discoveries by Galileo, Descartes, and other forward-thinking pioneers led to major shifts in thinking.

Renaissance art was characterized by realism and naturalism — artists strived to depict people and objects in a true-to-life way, and these pictures achieve that too.

#9

Window To An Open Meadow

Window To An Open Meadow

Inazumaryoku Report

#12

Three Friends

Three Friends

AshrafulArefin Report

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Anonymous
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The bengali poster over them stands for. " It sells lungi(a garment) and towels. It also alter jeans pant".

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#13

This Polaroid My Dad Took In Amsterdam Back In The 1980s

This Polaroid My Dad Took In Amsterdam Back In The 1980s

Oldkingcole225 Report

#16

French Farmers Use Fire To Try To Save Their Vineyards During Cold Nights

French Farmers Use Fire To Try To Save Their Vineyards During Cold Nights

QompleteReasons Report

#17

Rainbow Soldier

Rainbow Soldier

thassae Report

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Hannah Edwards
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All I can think is the list of superheroes killed by their capes in the Incredibles,

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#21

A Priest In A Church Of Paris, France

A Priest In A Church Of Paris, France

Davoldo Report

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Michelle M
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would love to walk into this picture with a bed and just sleep for hours.

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#22

Winter Water Main Break At Night

Winter Water Main Break At Night

Raleigh_Water Report

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Downunderdude
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Despite the efforts of his PR team, it has been revealed that God does not inhabit heaven.

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#23

Friend Left A Knot On The Lead Rope By Accident And Left Us This Amazing Piece

Friend Left A Knot On The Lead Rope By Accident And Left Us This Amazing Piece

DadofMando Report

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Michelle M
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Looks like a Renaissance picture where they're all reaching for enlightenment or whatever those paintings mean.

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#24

The More You Look, The Better It Gets

The More You Look, The Better It Gets

TheTallLebowski Report

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Alexia
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

404 error. Trump.exe has stopped working. Please restart the program, or wait for for the program to respond.

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#25

A Man Outside Of The Courthouse Learns That Derek Chauvin Was Found Guilty On All Three Counts

A Man Outside Of The Courthouse Learns That Derek Chauvin Was Found Guilty On All Three Counts

reddit.com Report

#28

A Bad Hair Day That Turned Out Like An Oil Painting

A Bad Hair Day That Turned Out Like An Oil Painting

humphreybeargart Report

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SentimentAndBadJokes
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't know why, but I really like his nose! It's got so much personality for some reason (kinda weird I know, but it just seems to add to this photo!)

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#30

A Young Monk

A Young Monk

vwboyaf1 Report

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Roselyn Park
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Brother Mark takes a vow of Contemplative Silence. Or maybe he broke a prop lightsaber and is trying to work out how to let George know.

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#31

Stephen Fry Being Vaccinated At The Poets' Corner Of Westminster Abbey

Stephen Fry Being Vaccinated At The Poets' Corner Of Westminster Abbey

DisenchantedIdealist Report

#32

Orthodox Jews In The Time Of Covid

Orthodox Jews In The Time Of Covid

rossblanket Report

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Dave P
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a funeral, all those not wearing masks were anti-body positive people, etc. Contrary to popular myth, it is a high vaccinated community, that follows scientific advice of their own medical orgs like JOWMA, and only came out average in terms of number of cases or deaths.

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#33

My Step Mother Trying To Cool Off And Sadie, Who Is Terrified Of My 6 Month Old Twins

My Step Mother Trying To Cool Off And Sadie, Who Is Terrified Of My 6 Month Old Twins

--eight Report

#35

Covid Reaches The Us, 2020

Covid Reaches The Us, 2020

PlatypusHashFarm Report

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#36

Portrait Of Familial Exasperation (My Mother Made A Coy Remark To Me, And My Sister Captured My Expression)

Portrait Of Familial Exasperation (My Mother Made A Coy Remark To Me, And My Sister Captured My Expression)

reddit.com Report

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#37

Flying At The Crossing

Flying At The Crossing

WhileFalseRepeat Report

#39

Pigeon The Grey Fights Balrog And Becomes Pigeon The White. The Fellowship Is Stunned

Pigeon The Grey Fights Balrog And Becomes Pigeon The White. The Fellowship Is Stunned

OlBennyofBolton Report

#42

Tattoo Parlor

Tattoo Parlor

lindzerr Report

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Caro Caro
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp is a 1632 oil painting on canvas by Rembrandt. (I googled this..)

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#44

Tried To Take A Self-Timer Group Pic And Someone Fell

Tried To Take A Self-Timer Group Pic And Someone Fell

ldoblej Report

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#46

St.louis Mo Fd

St.louis Mo Fd

Sekondtry2 Report

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Debbie Barnes
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Very Thomas Wyck (Who painted the great fire of London)... However rampant the fire is, they never gave up the fight...

#47

My Father Was Looking Out The Window And Turned His Head And I Got This Great Picture

My Father Was Looking Out The Window And Turned His Head And I Got This Great Picture

buterbetterbater Report

#48

Silverback Waiting For The Rain To Stop

Silverback Waiting For The Rain To Stop

obscurereference234 Report

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Nathan Pogorzala
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Like the joke goes "imagine if gorillas discovered the art of body building, we would be in a lot of trouble"

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#49

Brazilian Coffin Maker

Brazilian Coffin Maker

KittenOnKeys Report

#52

Veiled Slumberer, My GF, Marble

Veiled Slumberer, My GF, Marble

mrpokehontas Report

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PeachPossum
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Spinazzi's Faith (1781) in the Santa Maria Maddalena dei Pazzi, Florence

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#53

Taking Christ's Body Down

Taking Christ's Body Down

escielenn Report

#54

The Speaker Of The Parlament Of Finland Listening To An 8 Hour Filibuster Speech

The Speaker Of The Parlament Of Finland Listening To An 8 Hour Filibuster Speech

syopest Report

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Downunderdude
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Milk, eggs, toilet paper...oh damn, I know there was something else...

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#56

Tibetan Woman Holding Bitcoin Mining Psus

Tibetan Woman Holding Bitcoin Mining Psus

giner_ca Report

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Magrata Cesnekova
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This one is so inconspicuous but really good. Without reading a title, I would miss it, my brain just thinking she is holding flowers.

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#58

Accidental Poser In Hanoi

Accidental Poser In Hanoi

qwertymanman Report

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#60

Bülent Kılıç, A Photojournalist Taken Into Custody During The 19th İstanbul Lgbti+ Pride March Held In İstanbul

Bülent Kılıç, A Photojournalist Taken Into Custody During The 19th İstanbul Lgbti+ Pride March Held In İstanbul

sogayef Report

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Brandy Grote
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow, he looks like John the Baptist on the way to Salomé's platter...

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#62

The Believers (Dome Of The Rock Mosque, Jerusalem)

The Believers (Dome Of The Rock Mosque, Jerusalem)

retinuee Report

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Dave P
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

a place where Jews are banned from despite being Judaisms holiest site

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#64

Texas Residents Who Lost Power This Week.credit...tamir Kalifa For The New York Times

Texas Residents Who Lost Power This Week.credit...tamir Kalifa For The New York Times

cooler_than_i_am Report

#65

Accidental Renaissance Treatment Of American Maritime Pretty Boy

Accidental Renaissance Treatment Of American Maritime Pretty Boy

cmk5691 Report

#66

Woodstock 1969

Woodstock 1969

wyman2k Report

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Full Name
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow, the original Woodstock. Can you imagine a half million people on top of themselves for days living in complete peace today? No, I can't either :-( Of course the unbelievable amount of psychedelics may have played a part.....but still. Lol.

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#68

The Way Back Home.

The Way Back Home.

UrbanJukebox Report

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Jrizzy Jay
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

His thoughts- "All I know is that slice of cake I hid in the back of the refrigerator better still be there when I get home"

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#69

"The Farmers Morning"

"The Farmers Morning"

Mangulwort Report

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#70

Happy Drunk Me

Happy Drunk Me

justOkay-9 Report

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PeachPossum
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

La Fée Verte: Expecting Kylie Minogue as the Green Fairy but gets Ozzy Osbourne as the Devil instead.

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#71

Picture Of My Friend Fixing A Fluorescent Tube Light Ended Up Looking Biblical

Picture Of My Friend Fixing A Fluorescent Tube Light Ended Up Looking Biblical

thetraditionalone Report

#72

Someone Said I Should Post This Here, So Here I Go

Someone Said I Should Post This Here, So Here I Go

justOkay-9 Report

#73

The Pull Of Adam

The Pull Of Adam

C2Dk Report

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Jrizzy Jay
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Couldn't they find a thinner string to ensure they take his hand off when he falls?

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#77

Sausage Making Demonstration, Minneapolis 2016

Sausage Making Demonstration, Minneapolis 2016

extrageneity Report

#78

Triangles Are Everything In Both Renaissance And Pizza

Triangles Are Everything In Both Renaissance And Pizza

DionysusisBacchus Report

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lara
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The girl in the back with a piece of pizza in her mouth.

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#82

The Three Mental Stages One Goes Through Traveling With A Group Of Friends For Two Straight Weeks

The Three Mental Stages One Goes Through Traveling With A Group Of Friends For Two Straight Weeks

Fittslyna Report

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Shelley DuVal
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The middle one has a lot of cards, I wonder which game they are playing?

#83

Muhammad Ali In 1975 (The Thrilla In Manila)

Muhammad Ali In 1975 (The Thrilla In Manila)

stockingsandbonds Report

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#85

Café In Florence

Café In Florence

BalalaikaTheBear Report

#86

The Assessment Of The Oil Cooler

The Assessment Of The Oil Cooler

I_cant_meow Report

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#87

Italian Senate, 19 January 2021

Italian Senate, 19 January 2021

ildave Report

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M O'Connell
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She has the expression of a kindergarten teacher just calmly working to restore order. More yelling wouldn't accomplish anything.

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Yort
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think I’ve seen this before, doesn’t the golden ratio thing fit perfectly on this?

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#88

My Family Setting Up The Christmas Tree

My Family Setting Up The Christmas Tree

jonaman0802 Report

#89

Carried Away

Carried Away

un_accurate Report

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Kari Panda
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She was a protestor and she was removed, no violence involved. The protestors were even allowed to stay for several days prior. I don‘t see why this would be 'shameful'. What other option is there? Leave the protestors be for months?

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#90

My Friend Struggling With His Pants

My Friend Struggling With His Pants

indysietsma Report

#92

Carpet Seller In Istanbul

Carpet Seller In Istanbul

corpio Report

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WilvanderHeijden
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He probably doesn't even make in 6 years of what the guy importing these carpets to Europe makes in 6 months.

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#94

My Friends And I Building A Geodesic Dome Cabin

My Friends And I Building A Geodesic Dome Cabin

johnnybagels Report

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#98

Fishtine Chapel

Fishtine Chapel

Plasmodioom Report

#99

Gus And Amy Of Amyl And The Sniffers Taken By Jamie Wdziekonski

Gus And Amy Of Amyl And The Sniffers Taken By Jamie Wdziekonski

BrianGlory Report

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#100

Accidental Renaissance During A Photoshoot

Accidental Renaissance During A Photoshoot

sanchousz Report

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#101

First Time On This Sub. I Was Told This Picture Would Fit Here

First Time On This Sub. I Was Told This Picture Would Fit Here

Sacomano_Bob Report

#102

Parliament (2021)

Parliament (2021)

boredgerm Report

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#103

The Battle Of Sydney

The Battle Of Sydney

Carry_Old Report

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#104

Holy Wine - My Passed Out Friend On New Years Eve

Holy Wine - My Passed Out Friend On New Years Eve

zebett Report

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#105

The 2021 Great Clash Of Amsterdam

The 2021 Great Clash Of Amsterdam

Motorchampion Report

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Nathan Pogorzala
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In no regards to what they are fighting for, the man's face the moment he realizes he may have bit off more than he can chew. The price of freedom i suppose.

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