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Due to the elevated status of celebrities, we often forget that they are normal people, just like anyone else. But the glitz and glamour dazes us, and we forget that, if only for a moment. Same applies to famous historical personalities, and even to a greater extent: we can only see them through the works of (usually) great artists, and this dash of artistic genius always make these personalities look like demigods from a long-gone era of heroic men and women. But just like with celebrities, there's a reason to believe that they were normal regular people, despite their great achievements and stories about them.

This is why I wanted to take another look at these historical personalities and try to imagine them as if they lived in modern times. One of the perks of modern times is that everybody's fashion doesn't tell as much about their social status as it once did, and it makes them look equal, like you and me.

More info: Instagram

#1

Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh

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Seeing the works of photographer and digital artist Bas Uterwijk (IIIIII) made me create this series. Obviously he's a master at what he does and I tried to learn more from him, so I was very glad to receive some positive feedback from him! Nathan Shipley's works (III) also influenced me greatly.

#2

Alexander The Great

Alexander The Great

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When choosing the character, the most time-consuming thing is to find an image that resembles the historical figure. I spend hours in image databases until I get the right picture. Each individual piece takes up to 2 hours, which is nothing compared to AI-unassisted methods.

I believe they are people who were born to shine. No matter how digitally "regular" AI makes them look, we will always have in mind that the subject of the image made a name for themselves in history. I really liked how George Washington, Vincent Van Gogh and Napoleon Bonaparte turned out because they perfectly capture their soul, in my opinion. My Instagram followers gave a lot of positive votes for these images too, so I was very happy that my hunch was correct.

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Currently, I'm preparing the third part of the series that I showed here at Bored Panda, where I use Artificial Intelligence to imagine what celebrities who died too soon would be like today (III). Of course, who knows what I'm going to do after that, but I'm definitely going to keep experimenting with AI art, so follow my Instagram to keep yourself updated!

#6

Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar

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Beatrice Multhaupt
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The one on the left takes over countries while the one on the right raids corporations. Is it progress that we now use cell phones?

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#7

Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius

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Of course, none of this would've been possible without AI intelligence, or at least it would've taken a very, very long time. I used software called Artbreeder, a platform that is widely used for generative AI art, and the FaceApp application to finish them up. I hope it turned out great. Enjoy!

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#10

George Washington

George Washington

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#11

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

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Zanni B
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Listen you are criticizing the captions say "modern times" meaning the body changes...things change from that time period

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#14

Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette

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GadgetGirl
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's like the AI gave up after the nose. Face isn't round enough...should be oval not triangle. Mouth too wide, too.

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#15

Queen Nefertiti

Queen Nefertiti

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Jessica Allred
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think if the face was at the same angle in both shots it would be better. Though she does have the wrong nose.

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#16

Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa

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Vicky Z
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is completely wrong! You should put straight that woman from the subway that was in a previous post here

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#20

Mary Tudor

Mary Tudor

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#21

Da Vinci's "Salvador Mundi"

Da Vinci's "Salvador Mundi"

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Kim
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Call me crazy but I’m getting a definite Jesus vibe ⬆️ 😂😂

רוזה לוקסנבורג
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Although the real jesus was a middle eastern man and probably looked the man on the left, leonardo painted him as a north italian noble man

Natalie Hummel
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's a great documentary about this painting called The Lost Leonardo. I highly recommend watching it.

Tee Witt
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sorry but I think there is very little likeness between them.

elemental
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

doesn't look anything like the painting but i gotta say that's a pretty good render of an ethnically accurate jesus

Heather Homack
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dosn't look like the painting, but does at least look more like he could have been the real jesus

Richard Madigan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fascinating. If I were still teaching history, I would absolutely share this with my students. I think they'd enjoy being able to see these historical figures as real people, and it might help young learners connect with the course material in ways that standard textbook pictures never could.

Jaellen Warren
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nooo Shakespeare looks like he’d be a plumber! ( not that there’s anything wrong with being a plumber)!

Alex Williams
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cool! AI of a misrepresentation of Jesus if he ever existed. There are no descriptions of him in the Bible so this is not real. Originally he was depicted as a boy without facial hair.

Evelyn Haskins
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This one is just so so so NOT alike! Mind you, I do absolutely believe that the real Jesus (if ever) would have been a short dark Jew . But he looks NOTHING AT ALL like the man in the painting

K. Kerry Kozak
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All of the photos posted really looked like the images we have of these people........your work was spot on!!! Great eye for detail.....

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

I think Da Vinci was painting Salvador Mundi as Jesus with the mistaken idea that he would be fair of face and hair, however the new representation is much more in keeping to how we know he would have looked, at least in the colouring of skin and hair. As we do not have a painting from the actual time of Jesus' life, we will never really know.

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