The Amazing Creators of Pandemic Art Recreations

In the spring of 2020 when the world went on lockdown, two glorious Instagram challenges were launched. The #gettymuseumchallenge (alt: #gettychallenge) and #tussenkunstenquarantaine (alt: #betweenartandquarantine) hashtags encouraged art-lovers who were stuck at home to recreate their favorite works of art using objects around the home.

Rene Magritte’s The Great War
(@water_._bear)

Seven months later, the hashtags are still inspiring thousands of Instagram posts with brilliant, funny, and cleverly staged recreations of famous works of art. Getty Museum recently published Off the Walls: Inspired Re-Creations of Iconic Artworks featuring more than a hundred of the recreations, with all profits going to Artist Relief, an organization providing grants to support artists during the COVID-19 crisis.

Christian Schloe’s The Botanist’s Daughter (@marina_zosia_art)

The most popular artist to imitate is Frida Kahlo, with recreations of her iconic self-portraits and photographs of the artist herself.

Frida Kahlo’s Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace (@jenniferkirkeby)

And the most recreated painting of all? Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring.

What might be most thrilling about the Instagram challenge is how many creators have kept it going, well-beyond the initial quarantine shut-in phase. Artists of all kinds (photographers, dancers, visual artists, etc.) have redirected their pandemic energies to reimagining dozens of classic and contemporary artworks. Below are some of the most talented—and most prolific—creators.

Lety Pirronello (@letysandiego) adds a subtle pandemic-themed twist to many of her recreations.

Alessandro Allori’s Lucrezia de’ Medici (@letysandiego)

Lina Carballo’s (@mrs.linacarballo) recreations are eclectic and always on-point.

Jennifer Yoswa’s Trust
(@mrs.linacarballo)

British baritone Peter Brathwaite has dedicated his Instagram account (@peter_brathwaite) to rediscovering #blackportraiture. Read more about his recreations here.

Detail of a Retable – Saint Maurice (@peter_brathwaite)

Visual artist and dancer Manari Greeshma (@sarikalakari) has made a #dancepaintingseries.

Fabian Perez’s Study For Celina with Abanico IV (@sarikalakari)

Lilya Corneli’s #tobeamuse is an art project by photographer @lilyacorneli. The project predates the #gettymuseumchallenge, but fits in perfectly. See more of the artist’s work at tobeamuse.art.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s Lady Lilith (@tobeamuse)

Luiza Yukhnyova (@muse_liza) designs her own costumes, makeup, and hairstyles.

Charles de Steuben’s Andalusian
(@muse_liza)

Eliza Reinhardt’s recreations (@eliza_reinhardt) feature her photogenic dog Finn in a starring role. You can order postcard prints of some of her photographs at Eliza’s Etsy store.

Guido Reni’s Salome with the head of the Baptist (@eliza_reinhardt)

Lys Araujo’s (@lysaraujo_criarte) recreations are vibrant and fun.

Fred Calleri’s Bee Hive (@lysaraujo_criarte)

The recreations made by Briget, Karen, Chelsey, and Jess of @life_still_2020 have a charming DIY-aesthetic, featuring paper hair curls to aluminum foil armor.