ADVERTISEMENT

If you have ever looked at a museum masterpiece and thought, “This would absolutely go viral if the subject were dressed in more modern attire,” Scottish artist Ross Muir is basically making art for you.

Muir has built a following by remixing instantly recognizable historical imagery and giving it a sharp, modern streetwear twist. A saintly, icon-style portrait becomes “Wee Mary,” complete with a glowing gold halo and a nameplate necklace that feels more like a pop star accessory than a sacred symbol.

More info: Instagram | rossmuirart.com | Facebook

#1

˝Square Gogh˝

Scottish artist portrait of a bearded man in a black Adidas tracksuit blending classic painting with street culture

Ross Muir Report

WindySwede
Community Member
22 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or Nike? "Just do it"? 🔪👂 😬

View more comments

Van Gogh appears in multiple forms as well, including Muir’s viral “Square Gogh” take and versions that swap tortured artist energy for sporty confidence, such as the one rocking a Titleist visor with golf clubs slung over his shoulder.

RELATED:
    #3

    ˝Cona Lisa˝

    Scottish artist reimagines Mona Lisa with streetwear hat, hoop earring and sporty sleeve stripes on a dark background

    Ross Muir Report

    Fellfromthemoon
    Community Member
    9 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This "artist" used AI. Look at the misalignment of the nose and the lips. A typical error of Ai pics that humans usually don't commit.

    View more comments

    Elsewhere, you will spot nods to classic portraiture that suddenly feel like they belong on an album cover, a fashion lookbook, or a Glasgow street corner, with bold Adidas stripes, hoodies, and logo-level styling doing the heavy lifting.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #4

    ˝Frida Perry˝

    Scottish artist modern street style portrait: woman with unibrow, pink headscarf, hoop earrings, yellow polo

    Ross Muir Report

    #5

    Scottish artist reimagined portrait with AirPods, ruffled collar and modern street culture twist

    Muir's reimagining of Van Dyke's self portrait.

    Ross Muir Report

    What makes Muir’s work click is that it is not just a cheap joke over a famous painting. He keeps the pose, the lighting, and the atmosphere that made the original compelling, then drops in contemporary details that change the entire personality.

    #6

    ˝Apache˝

    Scottish artist modern twist on classical portrait: young woman in red dress with peace pendant and helicopter in sky

    Muir's reimagining of Ernst Deger's ˝Portrait of a young woman,˝ 1890.

    Ross Muir Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #8

    Scottish artist reimagines classic painting of a boy with fishing rod holding a bright clownfish toy

    Muir's reimaginin of ˝Pas Mèche˝ (˝Nothing Doing˝) by Jules Bastien-Lepage.

    Ross Muir Report

    ADVERTISEMENT

    A Frida Kahlo-inspired portrait gets turned into “Frida Perry,” swapping traditional dress for a crisp polo and big hoops, while a refined figure with a halo might show up looking like she is about to walk into a club rather than a cathedral.

    #9

    ˝Completed It, Mate˝

    Scottish artist modern street culture reinterpretation: reclining woman in black coat and red sneakers on green sofa.

    Muir's remake of ˝After the ball˝ from 1899, by Catalan Artist Ramon Casas.

    Ross Muir Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #10

    ˝One Man's Pigeon, Is Another Man's Dove.˝

    Scottish artist reinterpretation of a bowler-hatted man with pigeon obscuring his face, suit, tie and seascape background

    Ross Muir Report

    #11

    ˝Wee Mary˝

    Scottish artist reimagined classic Madonna portrait with gold halo, blue cloak and Mary name necklace

    Ross Muir Report

    Muir’s story is part of the appeal, too. Born in 1981 and based in Scotland, he started painting at 30 with no formal training after receiving a small set of paints as a gift. What began as a hobby and an escape quickly turned into a full-time career.

    #12

    ˝Two Sons˝

    Scottish artist depicts a famous painter reimagined as a modern street-culture figure in a tracksuit holding paintbrushes

    Ross Muir Report

    WindySwede
    Community Member
    22 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    *going to get some milk* ? 😬

    #13

    ˝Tiga Tiga˝

    Scottish artist style: bearded man with guitar riding a roaring tiger through lush colorful jungle flowers.

    Ross Muir Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #14

    ˝The Problem With Time˝

    Surreal seascape with melting clocks reimagined by Scottish artist blending famous paintings and modern street culture

    Ross Muir Report

    In 2018, “Square Gogh” blew up online, galleries took notice, and his first solo exhibition in Glasgow sold out before the doors even opened. When lockdown hit, he took the joke outside, plastering Glasgow with his “Jist Gogh Hame” posters and catching international attention, including a shoutout from the official Van Gogh Museum on Instagram.

    #15

    ˝High Winds Blow On High Hills˝

    Scottish artist reimagined historic portrait of a gentleman wearing a modern Adidas track jacket in a pastoral setting

    Ross Muir Report

    Maddox Gallery later brought him on as a represented artist, cementing what social media had already figured out: old art still has plenty of life in it, especially when you dress it like it has places to be.

    #18

    ˝Green Lady, Red Top˝

    Portrait by Scottish artist: stylized woman with halo, gray skin, red lips wearing red Adidas tracksuit on green background

    Ross Muir Report

    #19

    ˝Bulletproof˝

    Scottish artist reimagines a Renaissance saint in Union Jack body armor and red robe, holding a staff in a calm landscape

    A reworking of a painting by Raphael of Saint Sebastian.

    Ross Muir Report

    #20

    ˝Billy Cone-Lly˝

    Scottish artist portrait of a smiling man with gray curls, striped shirt and orange traffic-cone hat in modern street style.

    Ross Muir Report

    Angela B
    Community Member
    10 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think Billy would LOVE this!

    #21

    ˝Say Grace˝

    Scottish artist reinterpretation: blue-skinned portrait with flat-top haircut, cigarette and ornate yellow embroidered collar

    Ross Muir Report

    #22

    Painting by Scottish artist: portrait of woman in green turban, Adidas-style jacket and gold jewelry.

    Muir's rendition of Vladimir Tretchikoff’s ˝Balinese girl˝.

    Ross Muir Report

    #23

    ˝Nevermind˝

    Scottish artist reimagined classical portrait of a woman sewing a yellow streetwear banner with bold text

    Ross Muir Report

    See Also on Bored Panda
    #24

    ˝Absolute Belters˝

    Scottish artist reimagines Art Nouveau woman with red hair draped gown holding a black Adidas sneaker in stylized poster

    Ross Muir Report

    WindySwede
    Community Member
    22 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Com on BP its a painting...

    #27

    ˝Green Bow˝

    Portrait of girl in Adidas tracksuit and earbuds, modern street culture twist by Scottish artist

    Ross Muir Report

    #28

    ˝The Bridge Home˝

    Scottish artist in black tracksuit holding paint palette on riverside with ship and bridge

    Muir's reimagining of Henri Rousseau’s ˝Myself,˝ portrait-landscape from 1890 by inserting himself into the painting.

    Ross Muir Report

    #29

    ˝Cut & Burn˝

    Scottish artist painting blending famous works with modern street culture: shouting figure in Adidas jacket, colorful collage

    Ross Muir Report

    Angela B
    Community Member
    10 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I always found Grace Jones strikingly beautiful. Bone structure, skin, physique, stunning.

    #30

    ˝Crop Here˝

    Portrait by Scottish artist of a bearded man in hat and striped shirt smoking, plants in textured painted background

    Ross Muir Report

    #32

    ˝Really?˝

    Scottish artist reimagines classic painting as pop art couple in sportswear, blonde woman and mustached man

    Ross Muir Report

    #33

    ˝Good Boy˝

    ˝Good Boy˝

    A remake of ˝Boy and rabbit˝ painted in 1814 by Sir Henry Raeburn.

    Ross Muir Report

    See Also on Bored Panda
    #34

    ˝Frida Perry (Back To Black)˝

    Portrait by Scottish artist of a classic painting inspired woman with green headscarf, gold hoops, black polo on pink backdrop

    Ross Muir Report

    #35

    ˝Taking The…˝

    Scottish artist modern street-style portrait: Picasso-inspired woman in red tracksuit and blue hat smoking

    Ross Muir Report

    #36

    ˝Rogue˝

    Scottish artist modern street culture portrait of woman in yellow tracksuit holding tennis racket smoking

    Ross Muir Report

    #38

    ˝Oh Jessica˝

    Scottish artist pop-art woman with rainbow hair holding a retro phone, speech bubble reads Oh Jessica I love you too but

    Ross Muir Report

    #39

    “Jacqueline With Flowers”

    Painting by Scottish artist: cubist woman in black adidas tracksuit with gold stripes, blue background and roses.

    Ross Muir Report

    You can see Muir's other works on his Instagram page and website. Let us know in the comments which is your favorite!