When you point your camera at a random thing on the street, you usually don’t expect much. But in the vast sea of dull photos that fill your camera roll, one stands out. Call it a miracle, or a lovely surprise, but if you feel like the pic is superior in composition, style, lighting, and somewhat resembles a classical painting, it may be that you have just encountered “accidental renaissance.”
Thanks to the devoted community r/AccidentalRenaissance that seeks the thrill of photography that “accidentally resembles the types of art popular from the 14th-19th centuries,” we now know it’s a thing and not a mere coincidence. Created in 2014, the subreddit now has 748k “universalis personae,” aka members, who like looking for dramatic compositions, complex narratives, sophisticated lightning, and pictorial colors in everyday snaps.
So scroll down to see what the buzz is all about and after you’re done, don’t forget to check part 1 of Accidental Renaissance highlights such as “Pizza Night With The Woofers” and “The Lost Supper.”
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The Modern Mona Lisa
Our Cat Trying To Steal Cheese
To find out more about the r/AccidentalRenaissance subreddit, Bored Panda reached out to its moderator u/openminded_skeptic. He told us that the subreddit was founded based upon a post from August 2014 that featured a picture showing a fight in the Ukrainian Parliament.
“Several people in the post expressed interest in a subreddit featuring photos that accidentally resembled Renaissance art (although the actual photo technically is more along the lines of Baroque art in coloring and lighting, the Golden Ratio spiral superimposed on it notwithstanding), and this subreddit was created.”
Throughout the past 6 years, the community has evolved in several ways. “First, the definition of 'Renaissance' has expanded to cover art styles from the 14th-19th centuries as the sub has risen in popularity,” u/openminded_skeptic explained.
Oranges Photographed Through The Glass Panes Of A Greenhouse
Blinky In The Sun. Our Pupper Passed Away This Morning. I Always Thought This iPhone Photo Of Him Looked Like A Painting
Accidentally Took A Picture Of My Cat That Looks Like An Old Master's Painting
Secondly, the rules have now expanded to more easily enable moderation of what would be considered Renaissance. “It’s in the eye of the beholder,” said the moderator.
And thirdly, “I (u/openminded_skeptic) was added as a moderator as an April Fool's joke in 2018 due to my username being almost identical to the founder's (u/openmindedskeptic), and have more or less overtaken the subreddit.” In 2019, the companion subreddit to r/AccidentalRenaissance called r/Pet_Renaissance was created as “a place for people to post artistic pet photos.”
u/openminded_skeptic explained that for the purposes of r/AccidentalRenaissance, the community allows other genres from the 14th-19th centuries, as well as high-quality or timely popular photos or posts at times at the moderators' discretion.
Feline Friendship
The Selfie
A Caring Matriarch
As for the Renaissance photos, “generally, there's an emphasis on symmetry, balance, saturated colors (although early and high Renaissance used lighter, brighter colors while late Renaissance generally used darker, richer colors, but they were always saturated, not diluted), a focus on linear perspective and leading lines to help create a more 3-D image, balanced composition, and lots of references to classical Greek and Roman art and architecture.”
Even though there are no professional art historians on the moderator team, u/openminded_skeptic assured us that “Some of us have a few art history courses under our belts, as well as an interest and appreciation for fine art and history.”
We'll Be Home Soon
The Coffee Shop Window
A Monk In Italy. (Photographer: Steve Mccurry)
He also added that moderating subreddits usually falls to one of three types of people: “those very passionate about the subject of the subreddit and wanting to help keep it relevant (I consider this to be me!), those who just love Reddit in general and want to help keep it going, or those who for one reason or another value a sense of prestige or having authority over others."
The Creation Of Internets
A Little Girl Carrying A Lamb To Shelter From Falling Ash During Iceland's 2010 Volcanic Eruption
Renaissance Chickens
Firefighters Taking A Break Out West
Being a firefighter is weird... you might spend weeks without any hard things to do... but when it gets hard, it really gets hard
Used to be a municipal firefighter. We described the job as hours of boredom punctuated by moments of terror.
Load More Replies...Fun fact, if all the fresh drinkable water were collected off the earth, it would be a sphere not much smaller than the moon. Sadly, many people don’t t have access to this water. (For more info, read my bio!)
Nice. Renaissance with a good dollop of German 19th century Romanticism thrown in. Amazing colours.
I live in Northern California. We are all SO grateful for all those that responded to these disasterous fires - you are our HEROES!!
WOW!!! I bet they deserved and really earned this break. Thank you for your efforts and bravery
And this is one that definitely should have been on one of our front page newspapers, but I never saw it!!! A reminder of what life is like for a firefighter in the west!!!
13th Attempt To Break The Gaza Blockade By Sea
This looks like the famous French revolution painting with the half naked woman.
These Musicians In A Restaurant In Greece
Mr. Fluffies Betrayal
Reflect
The Horsemen
This Lady Peeling Pomegranates
Two Mice Fighting.
Concert Selfie
A Monk Prays For An Elderly Man Who Had Died Suddenly While Waiting For A Train In China.
Not sad, only for possible family left behind. But what if he was all alone and in pain , now he is at peace and someone is there for a goodbye prayer. Death is not bad in it self, and hopefully , the relations left here will accept quickly and remember him with love.
Supper At Home
Snapped This Moment During My 12 Day - 110 Mile (800 Head Of Cattle) Drive From Utah To Arizona
Power From On High: Two Weed Farming Nuns
Vasiliy Is Still Breathing
This one does really look like a pre-revolutionary romantic painting.
Russian Soldier Playing An Abandoned Piano In Chechnya
Brokering Of The Candy
Adoration Of The Rose
A Young Man, Illuminated By Mobile Phones, Recites A Poem While Protestors Chant Slogans Calling For Civilian Rule, During A Blackout In Khartoum, Sudan
The First Batch (The Bakehouse In Vancouver)
Stumbled Upon A Fair In Brussels Recently. Truly Accidental Renaissance For Me!
My Girlfriend's Uncle Took A Photo Of This Monk At A 13th Century Monastery
Seated Jester
Keanu Reeves Ascends To Save Mankind
You mean he descended to Earth to save mankind. He's not dead. Touchwood.
Friend Took This Photo Of Me Napping The Other Day, Was Told I Should Post It Here
The Barista
Chinese Policemen Visiting The Remote Region Of Xinjiang To Spread Awareness Of The Coronavirus (2020)
The Petulant Donald
In The Train,india
Stevie Nicks Photographed At A Fleetwood Mac Concert In 1978
Dearly Beloved
This is beautiful, the flowing dresses, the positioning, it's really well balanced.
Student At Rest
An Amish Vacation
King James Falling Into The Seats Looked Like Some Sort Of Renaissance Composition
Japanese Opposition Members Trying To Block The Passing Of New Immigration Laws
Uh... don't know the details behind this, but that's not how democracy works
A Feast In The Capital City
Cold McDonalds does not betoken opulence. I'm so glad this clown will soon be gone
Jay Wright Captured Backstage At A Rodarte Fashion Show, Thought It Was A Painting At First Glance!
And So The Sun Was Created For The Pleasure Of These Majestic Creatures. Warming The Souls Of All Those Who Gaze Upon Their Magnificence
This Photo My Friend Took Today In A Farm Around Wismar
The Ride Home
Evening Train
Took This Of My Dog When He Was Drying Off From A Rainy Walk, Felt Very Regal
When Your Travel Pillow Makes You Shakespeare
Russian Flutist Playing Mozart During Removal Of Brain Tumor
I presume this is so they can monitor her brain activity and avoid damaging the parts of her brain she uses to play.
Shutting Off A Long Beach Fire Hydrant
A Nun At The Airport (Oc)
Man Reading At Mcdonalds
The Bride After Dark
My Friend In Our New Apartment
United States Of America 2020
The person holding the flag upside down makes a very powerful statement.
Prime Minister In Mourning
Hurricane Teddy - Cape Hatteras, Nc
This Photo Of My Favorite Chicken Turned Out Accidentally Beautiful
The Fall Of A Sister
Image Of The First Case Of The New Coronavirus Infected Person In Hongkong
Game’s Night
Sorry, but it's Games Night, no apostrophe - unless the man's name is game and the night belongs to him.
This Turkish Guy At Work.
This Picture Of A Russian Canteen Made Me Think Of This Sub
The Sacrifice Of Isaac
Not Sure If The Painting Is Considered Renaissance But If It Is Then ‘Double Renaissance’
Pope Francis Circa 2008
The Great Race
Stunning
México (2020)
This Photo I Took At The Volin Viking Festival This Summer
Wolin is the name both of a Polish island in the Baltic Sea, just off the Polish coast, and a town on that island. Annually, the island is home to Europe's biggest Germanic-Slavic Viking festival. (Wikipedia) ""21st Century Viking Stories" XXII Slavs and Viking Festival Wolin 2016" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXRfzcWN0jk
The Fire (2019)
Chef In Siena, Italy 2020
California Fire Being Extinguished By A 747
If we practiced controlled burns maybe the wildfires wouldn't get so bad.
Paris, Jan 11 2020
My Son And I Caught In A Storm
The Passion Of The Slice
My Daughter Refused To Cooperate During A Photoshoot
Of course she wasn't in the mood, half of everything you put on her is scratchy or binding.
Quarantined Italians Play Music To Each Other
Full Circle Renaissance (Credit: Bosslogic)
Battle Of Wallmart
Blackout During Examination
Ok everyone. I never thought I'd say this but.... take out your phones.
Florence Welch (2018)
These Guys Doing Homework At The Bar
If a bar is the least noisy place can you find to do your homework...
London Children And Their Families, Celebrating Christmas Day In An Underground Shelter. December 25 1940.
Despite a war going on and the fear of bombs destroying everything they own, they still can enjoy this moment. Quite a contrast with those " AH NEET MAH FREEDUMB" idiots.
Love Blooms
Me And My Wife After A 7am Wedding In Disney World Circa 2017
The Last Mcsupper
Contemporary Mediterranean Woman
The Epiphany
The Voter
As Renaissance As It Gets
The Family Trying To Take Wine Away From My Aunt For A Christmas Photo.
The Storyteller
Fields Of Fire
My Girlfriend Suffering With Eye Pain
Saint Dad, Out Father Of Newborn
hey i bet he didn't mean to be offensive. Stop the hate and just let the comment be. :(
The Modern Plague
The Invasion Of Private Space
Yu-Gi-Oh
Clutching His Robe In Fear
The Oath Of Blasey Ford
Victorian Mob
The Adoration Of The Screen.
War Of The Melon
I heard about this they oil up the watermelon and then they play football and after they eats it
Moscow Subway
Signing Their Wedding License In A Bar
The Failed System Of Brazil
The Catastrophe Of The Paella
Politicians In Flooded Venice, 2019
Betrayal
A Full Train
Linda In Majesty
Looks Like Something Van Gogh Would Have A Time With.
Some looked like they would be from the Baroque period.
Load More Replies...Gives you an idea of how revolutionary the Old Dutch Masters were. Their domestic scenes and attention to detail and light and shadows was very new in a world that had valued only portraits of rich people and religious scenes until then. #2, 19, 32: Very Gerrit Dou.
This image is a photo of my hometown, South Royalton, in Vermont. We call it SoRo. south_roya...0439e0.jpg
I Enjoyed every viewing every bit of these "Accidental" creative masterpieces! I Will try to DRAW some of Them with pencils.
renaissance means rebirth. into a golden age. some of these photos are spot on and some may look like the old paintings but quite a few mean the opposite.
It's the lighting and particular palettes of colours that do it, wonderful. Don't think I've ever managed to do this.
This is a great one from New Years Eve in Manchester a few years go... https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jan/03/like-a-beautiful-painting-image-of-new-years-mayhem-in-manchester-goes-viral CXo57HFWEA...3230f9.jpg
These photos just keep getting better and better. They are awesome .
You keep using this word. I don't think it means what you think it means.
Some looked like they would be from the Baroque period.
Load More Replies...Gives you an idea of how revolutionary the Old Dutch Masters were. Their domestic scenes and attention to detail and light and shadows was very new in a world that had valued only portraits of rich people and religious scenes until then. #2, 19, 32: Very Gerrit Dou.
This image is a photo of my hometown, South Royalton, in Vermont. We call it SoRo. south_roya...0439e0.jpg
I Enjoyed every viewing every bit of these "Accidental" creative masterpieces! I Will try to DRAW some of Them with pencils.
renaissance means rebirth. into a golden age. some of these photos are spot on and some may look like the old paintings but quite a few mean the opposite.
It's the lighting and particular palettes of colours that do it, wonderful. Don't think I've ever managed to do this.
This is a great one from New Years Eve in Manchester a few years go... https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jan/03/like-a-beautiful-painting-image-of-new-years-mayhem-in-manchester-goes-viral CXo57HFWEA...3230f9.jpg
These photos just keep getting better and better. They are awesome .
You keep using this word. I don't think it means what you think it means.