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
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
She said, while he did the adult version of sticking his fingers in his ears and going "La La La I can't hear you La La La"
Load More Replies...A heartfelt Thank You to all Americans who voted him out of office! We all wait with bated breath for January 20th, hoping that other American politicians and officials will manage to rein him in and keep him from doing too much serious damage until then.
As an American, I'm more worried about what he'll do AFTER he leaves the White House. He's so vindictive that I wouldn't put it past him to sell U.S. security and intelligence secrets to the highest bidder.
Load More Replies...They’re like the majority of intelligent Americans, “WTF is this this dipfuck even doing here?!”
The women leaders in the world were the only ones to stand up to him... May, Merkel, Frederiksen... I am so proud of all of them! And... oh wow does he hate and fear strong women!
He won't even look in her eyes. I've taught toddlers that behaved better.
Donny being his natural stupid entitled idiotic self again. China and Russia will miss him.
Almost done with this moron, guys. Just a little longer and we won't have to look at his sneering ugly face any longer.
It’s funny that c fuller is right because there is inflation in the US
Load More Replies...Shinzo Abe looks very tired of his bullsh.. ,such a great picture.
I loved the moment at this where he started talking and everyone started laughing at him 😂
F*****g piece of s**t. Can’t even fire people directly. Hiding behind his tweets. Small,small man.
I guess he'll have to cry into his billions of dollars now. He will think of your comment while he is on his private jet
Load More Replies...I am an American and I love Angela Merkel! SHE is the true leader of the free world!
Angela: Listen Donald, I pickled something like you recently. Macron: Frau Merkel, not 'something like' - we found the jar outside.
Isn't it interesting how his crossed arms shows how defensive he always seems to be .
The disdain on those other leaders' faces. How we all felt about trump.
He's too stupid to understand a word she's saying, even when she only uses four-letter words just for him.
Stop throwing your toys out of the pram Donny! That's very naughty. Act your age.
Somebody photo-shopped an upside-down bowl of spaghetti on his head somewhere on the Internet a year or so ago. It was GLORIOUS!
This is why politicians never get anything done ! Clever at wasting time !!
Yippee!!!!!! He’s history!!!!!! Next official photograph: prison mug shot.
In his place? He currently runs the worlds largest army and the worlds largest economy, and he is personally worth many times which she is. Tell me again how she can put him in his place.
Load More Replies...It says what? He doesn't look angry, and neither do the people looking at him. If this was a photo of Obama looking exactly the same nobody would have a problem with it.
Load More Replies...Why do you call him petulant? Bc he’s being berated by Angela Merkel et al? GMAB
I thought this would happen: all of them not putting up with us any more
There is prime minister of japan and next to him that guy that was trying to publish a book of his time working in the white house and harassed or something so he could not publish it as he wanted
You hypocrites would not be saying this if Obama had the exact same look on his face. You talk about how he was such a powerful leader. You people still don't understand why he was elected in the first place, and why he actually got more minority votes this time around. Assume you guys are going to get what you wished for and you will understand the consequences
Oh how I wish I could put a bullet into his brain-- except he has no brain, so I am powerless.
That's a... terrible thing for you to say. You may not like him, but fantasizing about killing him is messed up.
Load More Replies...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
Note: this post originally had 122 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
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.