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Ever since I was a child, I have been fascinated by historical facts and archaeology. I think humans perceive the past as a series of events; something like a movie that we can’t really feel or touch. I believe the things that bring us closer to the past are those that truly humanize us - the bodies from Pompeii, the perfectly preserved Inca mummies, the personal objects of long-gone historical figures, and more.
I’ve always thought how incredible it would be to see historical events and the famous people the way they actually happened and the way they actually looked. I started Royalty Now in February of 2019, simply as a way for me to see my favorite historical figure, Anne Boleyn, as a woman of modern times. I wanted to know if she could come to life from the few pale, flat portraits we have of her. I started the account to satisfy my own curiosity about what those interesting people of the past would look like if they were standing right in front of me. I’m incredibly thankful for the support and interest the account has received, and can’t wait to see what happens next with other historical people.
More info: Instagram
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#1
Nefertiti
"This bust of Nefertiti (believed to have been sculpted during her lifetime) is famous for its grace and beauty. Nefertiti lived from approximately 1370 - 1330 BC. She was an Egyptian queen and the wife of Akhenaten, an Egyptian Pharaoh. Akhenaten is famous for his attempt to transition Egypt into a monotheistic society (worshipping only the sun god, Aten), instead of a polytheistic one."
Final score:
262points
Cindy Snow 5 years ago
Have you considered, artists tended to be flattering in the way they portray royalty? Just sayin. We need her skull.
Rein Asher 5 years ago
Did not capture the essence of the bust. Look at it carefully. Nefertiti had a very different kind of demeanour and aura
Shannon Glidewell 1 year ago
That's the name I was looking for! Remember the face but her name was escaping me. Thank you!
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Ingrid 5 years ago
There is a documentary about how she might really looked like as the proportions in this statue the same as in famous Venus painting are physically not possible
Clau78 5 years ago
Yes i read an article about how they have found a base layer under the head which has a crooked nose and wrinkles. Sounds like the Queen asked for a face lift
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Stan Zorin 5 years ago (edited)
An error [or deliberate misrepresentation]. Nefertiti had blue or bluish-grey eyes.
RELATED:
#2
Julius Ceasar
Final score:
212points
Edwin Quantrall 5 years ago
"Friends! Romans! Countrymen! Lend me L million gold pieces that I may invent something better than these tabula!"
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Stannous Flouride 5 years ago
His hair should be much thinner, Julius was secretly mocked by his contemporaries for his forward comb-over. (sure glad we live in a modern world where our world leaders aren't so shallow and vain)
Don Lee 5 years ago
You don't think Julius would join Hair Club for Emperors?
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Walter Snyder 5 years ago
Reminds me of Sasha Roiz who played, among others, Sean Renard on NBC's Grimm. sasha-roiz...e702fe.jpg 
Bad Asterisk 5 years ago (edited)
Wow, looks like Tobias Menzies! Haha; I googled Tobias Menzies' picture and this was actually made on his image!
Zane Thompson 5 years ago
And the irony that he is played Brutus in “Rome” and sunk the final knife to finish Caesar off
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Victorya Shidlovskaya 5 years ago
somehow they all look worse than statues - less character, strength.. Maybe shadows are not strong enough, so drawn faces loose their muscle tension
#3
Queen Elizabeth I
Final score:
186points
Rhiannon Feiryred 5 years ago
They left out the smallpox scars, her skin was in a bad way poor woman.
Chris Miilu 5 years ago
The powder she used was toxic; however, at that time no one knew about toxic makeup. She lived to be fairly old, so she probably had some strong DNA.
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Patty Wright 5 years ago
Missed her defining feature... she had very bad smallpox scars, which is why she wore the heavy white lead makeup.
Dana Melody 5 years ago
So pretty....we can really appreciate the facial features of Queen Elizabeth the First compared to the flat white paintings that are in museums
#4
Alexander The Great
"I did some research on his looks and it is recorded that he had curly golden hair and heterochromia (one eye blue and one eye brown or a combo of both), so he was definitely a striking figure."
Final score:
180points
Risen Aboven 5 years ago
his neck definitely would not be that effeminate what are you trying to do here ?
Doug Swicegood 5 years ago
Oh I see! I apologize you're doing them as if they lived today! My bad!
Dana Melody 5 years ago
Shame he died so young, would've turned into a very handsome middle aged man
#5
Agrippina The Younger
"Agrippina the Younger is someone I only recently learned more about but she had a crazy life. She was the sister of Emperor Caligula and the mother of Emperor Nero. I highly recommend giving her a search if you’re interested in that era of Roman history!"
Final score:
149points
ju Hel 5 years ago
Her (I think 3rd) husband changed her birthplace, a small village, into a roman city in her name. The oppidum ubiorum became Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, CCAA. Today known as Cologne (Köln)
Daniel Tregant 5 years ago
That's so Cote De Pablo. They should get her to play Agrippina the younger.
A. Sherlocat 5 years ago
"She was the sister of Emperor Caligula and the mother of Emperor Nero." It sounds like psychopathic traits ran in her family! Read this bit of her Wikipedia entry: "Both ancient and modern sources describe Agrippina's personality as ruthless, ambitious, violent, and domineering. [...] Many ancient historians accuse Agrippina of poisoning her husband Claudius, though accounts vary." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrippina_the_Younger
Doug Swicegood 5 years ago
Love it! Been studying Rome quite a bit. I love Steven Saylor's novels 'Roma' and 'Empire' as well. Right now I'm trying to get through Livy's "Histories of Rome' which is a gigantic read at near 2,000 pages! I'll be lucky to finish it! LOL!
Margaret Baker 5 years ago
She was also the niece of Emperor Claudius and his third wife and is rumored to have poisoned him with mushrooms so her son Nero would be Emperor.
A. Sherlocat 5 years ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrippina_the_Younger
Load More Replies... #6
Jane Austen
Final score:
149points
James Bond 5 years ago
Looks like that girl from Gilmore girls the daughter (p.s. I know I'm not helpful)
#7
Anne Boleyn
Final score:
144points
Bobrossissenpai 5 years ago
SEE I BROKE ENGLAND THE CHURCH, YEAH I'M THAT SEXY
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Sara Puza 5 years ago
anne boleyn was reportedly had dark brown eyes and unusually so- olive skin. That's one of the reasons Henry's court couldn't figure out why he was so enamored with her as she wasn't classically beautiful at the time. It's most important to note for this reconstruction, all of the portraits we have of her (aside from being in that somewhat inaccurate classic style) were painted after her death when there was no model. Shortly after her execution, King Henry VIII had all of her portraits and likenesses destroyed.
Robin Moore 5 years ago
I'd darken the eyes a bit, as even in the painting they seem to be a darker brown, and make the hair a dark auburn. (There seems to be a lot of arguing about her hair between the black-hair and red-hair contingents, which is compounded by there not being any existing portraits of her from her lifetime; even this one--which may well be the closest to the truth--was copied from an original during the Elizabethan era.)
Lois Miller 5 years ago
These are great! Makes it so much easier to picture them in one's mind. I think, though, that Anne's eyes were black. .I know the portrait doesn't show that very well, either, but a number of comments were made in her lifetime about her sparkling black eyes.
#8
Mary, Queen Of Scots
Final score:
142points
Lauren Moss 5 years ago
Love that you can see the resemblence between Mary and her cousin Elizabeth I!
Amberly Middlemiss 5 years ago (edited)
it's more likely just the same painting style, all elizabethan portraits have the same thin brows, small lips, heavy lids, and high hairline, as those were the beauty standards of the time, so were used in paintings to make the model appear more flattering.
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Carole Gonzalez 5 years ago
There is a death mask of Mary. She doesn't look like this. She was way prettier. You can google it.
NAS 5 years ago
You are right, she doesn't. I thought she looked very pretty, unlike Elizabeth.
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Debra Turner 5 years ago
The lock of her hair that survives is a dark strawberry blond - chestnut, so lighter than here.
sarah compton 5 years ago
what do you think you’re looking at while reading this article?
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Todd Johnson 5 years ago
Again, with this one -- should have made the face less "Drawing" -- and more photographic. The face is drawn, the rest is photo graphic. Meh.
Jude Weber 5 years ago
Mary Queen of Scots was definitely the beautiful Queen when if came to Elizabeth and her. She is stunning!
Nicholas Edge 5 years ago (edited)
Mary, Queen of Scots, and Elizabeth I were cousins - Mary Stuart was the great-granddaughter of Henry VII of England, and Elizabeth Tudor was his granddaughter. Mary was 9 years younger than Elizabeth. Mary was a mix of Stewart/Tudor/Lorraine/Bourbon, Elizabeth was Tudor/Boleyn.
#9
Madame De Pompadour
"Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, better known as Madame de Pompadour. She first caught the eye of Louis XV at a masked ball in 1745 (it was said that she was dressed as a domino, and he was dressed as a plant) and was his chief mistress thereafter until 1751. Even after she was no longer Louis' mistress, she was a trusted friend, confidante, and advisor, essentially becoming one of the most powerful women at the French court until her death in 1764."
Final score:
142points
Joseph Marcoccio 3 years ago (edited)
Very attractive??? She looks like e.t had a baby with a fat glob weirdo
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Elena House 5 years ago (edited)
She was probably _wearing_ a domino, rather than dressed as one. A domino was a piece of clothing, often worn to masked balls instead of an actual costume; it was similar to a cloak, sometimes had a hood, and was often black. Since even the super-rich at the time usually wore the same clothing many times, if you wanted to conceal your identity, you had to conceal your clothing as well.
A. Sherlocat 5 years ago (edited)
Ha - you beat me to it. The ending was really too sad, though! :'(
Load More Replies... Doug Swicegood 5 years ago
I painted a picture of her once in her deep chocolate like silken dress holding an open book to denote she is an educated woman. I think it was from and 1858 painting. I'm a bit of an artist...a bit!
Debra Turner 5 years ago
Must learn more about Louis and her. The period. Interesting how she had a position of respect in the court.
Karen Klinck 5 years ago
Not only in the court. Her salon (gatherings) invitations were highly sought after, possibly to obtain patronage, but mostly because she WAS a highly educated, intelligent and witty woman. It didn't hurt anyone's reputation to be associated with her.
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Ande Abdrop 5 years ago
My cousin (a Poisson) actually looks very much like the right picture!
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#10
Empress Elisabeth Of Austria
"During her life, Elisabeth (known as Sisi), was known for being beautiful, smart, rebellious and passionate. Definitely worth some digging into if you are interested in late 1800s Europe."
Final score:
128points
Karen Klinck 5 years ago
Very close! Perhaps they should have photoshopped out such distractions as clothes and hair; concentrated on the facial features?
Celestra Erit Ultima 5 years ago
Unfortunately it is said that she had very bad teeth and smelled from her mouth.
Karen Klinck 5 years ago
At that time in history, dental hygiene was fairly unknown, and certainly not a priority.
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Martha Meyer 5 years ago
She was a sports freak actually. Used to do daily workouts and walked crazy distances every day. Carriages had to follow her to pick up exhausted ladies in waiting and bring in freshly rested ones. She woukd have been an athlete, if she lived today.
Load More Replies... #11
Louis XIV, The Sun King
Final score:
122points
Todd Johnson 5 years ago
From King to modern-day actor showing up at an event after having been up late from a Hollywood party the night before.
anotherboredpanda 5 years ago
I could be wrong, but isn't that a painting of his brother Philippe D'Orleans?
Mehlinda Heartt 5 years ago
its Louis look at this link https://www.historytoday.com/archive/art-kingship-louis-xiv-reconsideration
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#12
Katherine Of Aragon
"This portrait of Katherine of Aragon, wife of King Henry VIII and Queen of England from 1509-1533, has always been my favorite. There are several portraits of her that all range in looks, so it’s hard to tell her true likeness. I think this one captures her piety, meekness, and obedience as documented by historians."
Final score:
121points
Jackie Mitchell 5 years ago
My name is Katherine of Aragon. Was married 24 years. I'm the paragon of royalty. My loyalty is to the Vatican. So if you try to dump me. You won't do that again.
Sharangir 5 years ago
You see "piety, meekness, and obedience" I see someone who has given up on life.
anotherboredpanda 5 years ago
Read up on her. Henry VIII wasn't very nice to her and their mutual daughter Mary.
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Pam Walker 5 years ago
not so obedient, stubborn, strong and resisting the kings desire for a divorce , if she was meek she would have given in. Historians recignise this and that she was crowned Queen of England and intended to remain queen. She was also Henry's trusted regent when he went to war with France and a good comamder of troops.
Stan Zorin 5 years ago
Why are women stubborn and resisting and fight for most of their husbands' money when their husbands want to get rid of their old wives and get new younger ones ? Please answer.
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Connie Miller 5 years ago
Yep, he created an entire religion just to make it quasi-legal to get rid of her for Anne Boelyn
Sarah Hearn 5 years ago
This is really genius. She was supposedly a blonde beauty as a young girl, as in this portrait. She is striking.
A. Sherlocat 5 years ago
"this one captures her piety, meekness, and obedience" Wait - Catholic piety, yes, but meekness and obedience?? She kept up a massive legal and moral campaign against his attempts to divorce her, which involved official complaints to the Pope. I'd hardly call her 'meek' or 'obedient'...!! :O In fact, I admire her firey atittude!
#13
Louis XV
"Louis XV is lesser known than his predecessor the Sun King and his heir, Louis XVI, but he was the second-longest reigning monarch in French history. I have always known him by his famous mistresses, Madame De Pompadour and Madame du Barry."
Final score:
112points
Seabeast 5 years ago
He loved working with his hands, apparently. He'd probably have been a mechanic, carpenter, or worked at some other trade in modern times. Maybe a mechanical engineer, if he did go white collar.
Danielle Rousseau 5 years ago
That was Louis XVI th who loved repairing clocks and locks. He was also interested in carpentry. Louis XV was renowned for his depression bouts and his numerous flings with young girls.
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Mishte Tine 5 years ago
This whole thread is pretty silly (but fascinating!) since the original portraits are already idealized to please the powerful wealthy clients. Doesnt matter - it’s really fun.
Ande Abdrop 5 years ago
Robert Downey Jr.! On the left it's more obvious: the eyes and the chin.
#14
Catherine Parr
"She was the only wife to outlive the king, who was tyrannical in his last years."
Final score:
111points
Viviane 5 years ago
Anne of Cleves outlived him as well. She got the best deal: Henry VIII annulled the marriage within a year, gave her some nice properties, a title, and honorary membership to the family as "the King's Beloved Sister" (invitations to court without the hassle of being married to someone toxic).
Lexie Foxx 5 years ago
And certain texts suggest that they stayed close friends after the annulment
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Jackie Mitchell 5 years ago
Five down. I'm the final wife. I saw him to the end of his life. I'm a survivor. Katherine Parr. I bet you wanna know how I got this far.
Mack-doodle 5 years ago
I BET YA WANNA KNOW HOW I GOT THIS FAR! I SAID I BET YA WANNA KNOW HOW WE GOT THIS FAR!
friendlyneighborhoodtheaterkid 5 years ago
HEY DO YOU WANNA KNOW HOW WE GOT THIS FAR?
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Lithae 5 years ago
I think they likely edited her onto Drew Barrymore, you can see the original celebrities peeking through on some of the edits.
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Denise Lange 5 years ago
Her husband Thomas Seymour, who she married after Henry VII died, was accused of inappropriate behavior with Elizabeth I when she was only 13-14 years old and in their care.
Country Nana 5 years ago
Are you sure this isn't Lady Jane Grey ir her sister Katherine? I've never seen this portrait attributed to Katherine Parr. And Jane G. Lived with Parr for a few years.
Chewie Baron 5 years ago
This is Katherine Parr, as I've seen this portrait in the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Load More Replies... #15
Marie Antionette
Final score:
103points
Jennifer Bateman 5 years ago
Marie Antoinette is my favorite historical figure because of how misunderstood she’s remained in history. She was kind, and took in several children over many years when their parents died. She never said let them eat cake, but she did sell silverware to purchase grain for those starving nearby. She was a brilliant musician, with a keen eye for beauty. She knew what she wanted, made it happen by surrounded herself with Interesting people and simple comforts to ease her stress that came with living in a gilded prison.
Debra Turner 5 years ago
In prison when the guard revolutionaries separated her from her young son, she couldn’t see him, but stood for hours where she could hear him cry, and I presume, perhaps try to soothe him by calling him. So heartbreaking.
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Whitney Bennett 5 years ago
Actually, the wax statue of Marie Antoinette at Madam Tussaud's in London gives us a better idea of what she looked like than any portrait does. The statues are re-creations of Marie Tussaud's own creations that had been destroyed in a fire. What a lot of people don't realize is that Madam Tussaud knew the doomed royal family personally as she was Madame Elisabeth (Louis XVI's sister)'s art teacher. Madam Tussaud also created death masks of Marie Antoinette & Louis XVI that were on display in the Chamber of Horrors.
Joy Holmes 5 years ago
While on a trip to France we visited the Coniergerie where Marie Antonette was imprisoned and beheaded. I made a photo of that building. What is eerie, when my photos came back, this photo had horizontal rainbow colors up and down the outside of this building. I have no clue as to how this happened. I still have the photo.
Carrie Reimann 5 years ago
Please share the picture if you can would love to see it
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Whitney Bennett 5 years ago
IIRC, her own brother referred to them both as a couple of "absolute blunderers"
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Jennifer Bateman 5 years ago
Fortunately for Marie, her specific genealogical line did not carry the Hapsburg Jaw syndrome. A different branch certainly did, especially poor Charles II of Spain.
Load More Replies... Todd Johnson 5 years ago
Face-shape differential. Plus, with hair down, it'd thin out, not fluff-out as seen in the 2nd one. But, in today's day & age, I guess it'd be harder to be thin. ;)
#16
The Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov
Final score:
99points
Sarah Storm 5 years ago
You took the words right out of my mouth. Hand? Mouth.
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Doug Swicegood 5 years ago
Poor little girl and her family. Back in the 1910s her hair was so beautiful. So many great photos of her family. Your modern version is astounding. We often wonder how historical figures would appear to us now and you have performed this job with such miraculous skill!
Riz Leslie 5 years ago (edited)
I really wish Hollywood would make a PROPER movie about Anastasia and her family. Such an interesting story that doesn’t have one solid script behind it. Insane. And hopefully they wouldn’t have them as Russian stereotypes or caricatures and actually humanize them
Vesna 5 years ago
There are series on Netflix "The Last Czars", which was done very beautifully and a lot of nuances that I never knew happened. The o Ku thing I don't like about that tv series that the mix it with documentary , interviews of historians. BUT after getting used to it, they do fill in some good gaps in the their comments. Anyway, I recommend give it a try. The work of actors is really beautiful and very well done.
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#17
Queen Isabella Of Castile
"Queen Isabella of Castile, partner to Ferdinand II of Aragon and the queen who sent Columbus on his way to the “new world” in 1492. "
Final score:
97points
Bret Yeilding 5 years ago
Regarded by many historians as the most important woman in European history. The Queen in chess is thought to have been modeled on her. She traveled a lot and her hubby Fernando did not.
Roberto Santiago Rodriguez 5 years ago
She was not a partner she was a queen in her own right and wife to a king.
Dana Melody 5 years ago
She looks like she would have had a strong personality, would have come in handy as it was the time of the new world being discovered.
Whitney Bennett 5 years ago
she herself was a warrior queen & the mother of Katherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII
Load More Replies... Todd Johnson 5 years ago
I would say make the 2nd one more photographic. Very accurate, yes, but still by face-shape, it's a draw-ring. :)
Stan Zorin 5 years ago
Truly. She was the greatest queen of them all, of all history.
Load More Replies... #18
Emperor Augustus
"Emperor Augustus (born Octavius, the great-nephew of Julius Caesar) was the first emperor of Rome, ending 500 years of republic. He’s an incredibly controversial figure, especially due to the smart and ruthless way he came to power, but he ruled over a time of relative peace in the Roman empire."
Final score:
96points
Rachel Money 5 years ago
If you look at this and then go back to Caesar you can see the family resemblance so well done both on current artists and the sculpture markers of the past
#19
Abraham Lincoln
"Abe Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the nation through the American Civil War, its bloodiest war and its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. He preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the U.S. economy."
Final score:
92points
Sandra Cesca 5 years ago
Daniel Day Lewis actually portrayed Lincoln in a movie and won the Oscar for best actor
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Mama Panda 5 years ago
Something seems off about this recreation. His nose is not that prominent.
Jim Ellington 5 years ago
He would look just like he did in the scores of photos of him that exist.
Katherine Forrestall 5 years ago
Oddly enough, I have always thought he was very attractive. Love his face.
Doug Swicegood 5 years ago
He looks so great and as if he were in existence today! Fabulous job! Perhaps my favorite!
Sarah Karatzios 5 years ago
I think he has somebody else’s ear in the second picture and his head is at a funny angle on his shoulders.
#20
Christina Of Denmark
"Christina of Denmark, seen here in an original Hans Holbein portrait, lived from 1521 - 1590. Christina was considered as a possible bride for King Henry VIII of England. Christina was not fond of the English King's reputation, given that he had divorced his first wife and beheaded his second wife. The originator of one of the greatest quotes about King Henry in history, Christina famously said: "If I had two heads, one should be at the King of England's disposal." What an amazing denial to a marriage proposal."
Final score:
90points
Shelley Handler 5 years ago
She also preferred to dress like a man and keep the company of women. Way, WAY ahead of her time.
Robin Moore 5 years ago
Wrong Christina--she came about 100 years later--but it's an easy enough mistake to make.
Load More Replies... Patrick O'Brien 5 years ago
I'm not sure about the likeness. Very close, but not quite proportionate. I do like the suggestion of impertinence and defiance in both.
Viviane 5 years ago
The head and shoulders on the left are part of full-body portrait. I really like it, because it suggests an active and restless character. She is dressed to head outdoors and looking as if she was about to step out.
Lizbeth Getman 5 years ago
She was also the great-niece of Henry VIII first wife Catherine of Aragon.
#21
Katherine Howard
"Katherine Howard (c. 1523 – 13 February 1542) was Queen of England for only 16 months as the fifth wife of Henry VIII. Katherine was actually the cousin of Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn. When they married, he was 49 and she only 16 or 17. Katherine was accused of adultery and executed by the King, ending her short reign as the Queen of England."
Final score:
82points
Jackie Mitchell 5 years ago
Prick up your ears. I'm the Katherine that lost her head. For my promiscuity outside of wed. Lock up your husbands. Lock up your sons. K Howard is her and the fun's begun.
Beverly Williams 5 years ago
The fact that he had Anne killed should've been a warning to Katherine.
Skee Lai 5 years ago
If the King wants to marry you, you say yes or die. No one just rejected the king when he had all the power.
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Helen Haley 5 years ago
She was a teenager married to a middle aged megalomaniac. Of course this wouldn't end well.
Karen Klinck 5 years ago
Who was so corpulent that he often couldn't perform. Which, of course, became her fault. And if she didn't immediately produce an heir, of course he looked for a reason to get rid of her, invented or not.
Load More Replies... Mack-doodle 5 years ago
Prick up your ears im the kathrin who lost her head. For promeseguity outside of wed. Lock up your husbands lock up your sons. K HOWARD IS HERE AND THE FUNS BEGUUUUUUUN!
Erik SCS 5 years ago
Does the song has anything to do with her or its only coincidence?
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Terry Melvin 5 years ago
Henry was old by the day's standards (49). She was a young hot vixen. So while the king was limp, she was lusty..so can you blame her, or him?
Sarah Hearn 5 years ago
Her mouth has that petulant teenage look. She looks like a “mean girl”.
Marie Sadler 5 years ago
She was a teenage girl forced to marry a dirty old man. Most girls would have the same sour expression.
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#22
Eleanor Of Toledo
"Eleanor of Toledo was an astonishing woman. Originally from Toledo, Spain, she was a bride to a famous member of the Medici Family, Cosimo I de Medici. Her husband regularly consulted with her on matters of politics, and she even served as consort during his time away from Florence."
Final score:
81points
Don Lee 5 years ago
I went to school with someone named Eleanor from Toledo, but it was the one in Ohio.
Lexie Foxx 5 years ago
She has that look of a confident woman in power (think Michelle Obama) and I am living for it
#23
Madame Du Barry
"This is Madame du Barry - the official mistress of Louis XV after his first love, Madame de Pompadour’s death."
Final score:
80points
Terry Melvin 5 years ago
They were all related..not fooling with his sister, but close.
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Whitney Bennett 5 years ago (edited)
The oldest wax statue at Madam Tussaud's wax museum & original Marie Tussaud creation is "Sleeping Beauty" who was rumored to have been made in the image of Madame du Barry.
Todd Johnson 5 years ago
Her face would be thinner in the 2nd one with her hair down like that. Cheekbones too far out. It's very very clear.
La_du_Barry 5 years ago
Madame de Pompadour was certainly not Louis XV's first love...he had many other official mistresses before her and a multitude of maidens in the Parc aux Cerfs. However, the passion he had for Du Barry is by far quite astonishing since she was the last of a long trail of his mistresses!
Ande Abdrop 5 years ago
Madame de Pompadour is actually in my mom's family tree (not genetically related, just the patronym). She was the one finding the young ingénues for Louis XV, that he met in the park, I read. I'll dig more on Du Barry, first time I hear of her.
Load More Replies... Karen Klinck 5 years ago
So were first cousin marriages 'to keep it all in the family'. Royalty married royal blood, and everyone else wanted to keep the money close.
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#24
Caligula
"Caligula, infamous brat and Roman Emperor."
Final score:
78points
Christoph Lindemann 5 years ago
You could have just postet a picture of Jack Gleeson (Joffrey Baratheon in Game of Thrones). They look pretty much alike.
Lars Vestergaard 5 years ago
I've always admired how his bust somehow captures his vacant, psychopathic madness.
Pat Buckles 5 years ago
Looks like the kid in the maga hat that intimidated the Native American drummer!
Teri Noway 5 years ago
That's not what happened but yeah it looks like him.
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Doug Swicegood 5 years ago
Drew him once too well from a statue! He looks so angelic! And he was murdered at twenty-seven years old.
Karen Klinck 5 years ago
The only one Ifeel sorry for was his baby daughter. They didn't get Cal soon enough.
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Stan Zorin 5 years ago
A VERY spoiled brat for whom the force of law and of social custom ceased to have meaning.
Load More Replies... #25
Napoleon
"Did you know that Napoleon was most likely 5'7"? That's taller than King Louis XIV. Some say his perceived smaller stature was due to him looking small in comparison to his huge accomplishments. Others say there was an error when translating his true height from French to English. Who do you think he looks like here?"
Final score:
78points
Bobby's Girl 5 years ago
And chin reduction - thinner face overall, actually.
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Amanda Hunter 5 years ago
I would imagine that back then the artist would have idealized the subject.
Jon S. 5 years ago
I have been led to believe the rumours of his small stature come from British cartoons that regularly mocked him as tiny angry clown. Similar to the way south park portrays Kim Jong Un.
Karen Klinck 5 years ago
All his personal guard were 6'5" or taller. Of course he looked short, and of course the British cartoonists took advantage of that.
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#26
Benjamin Franklin
Final score:
71points
Jessica Cifelli 5 years ago
I was thinking Anthony Hopkins crossed with Sylvester Stallone.
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Shelley Handler 5 years ago
Apparently, Ben was very popular with the ladies, especially during his ambassador posting in France.
Matthias Ravencroft 5 years ago
Looks like Bob Gunton (warden from Shawshank Redemption) or Jonathan Pryce (High Sparrow from GoT)
#27
Henry VIII
Final score:
67points
Helen Chappell 5 years ago
When young, he was said to be one of the handsomest men in Europe. Self indulgence, diabetes and a catastrophic head injury put a stop to that.
Nancy Alborell 5 years ago
"The Church of England was founded on the balls of King Henry the Eighth." He turned Protestant so he could divorce his first wife without permission from the Pope.
gracefullikeagazelle 5 years ago
He was a big strong young man until the hunting accident and a lifetime of wallowing in gross debauchery.
Load More Replies... Karen Klinck 5 years ago
And his weight was severely downplayed in the painting. He had to be winched up on a horse.
anotherboredpanda 5 years ago
I don't think I've seen a portrait of him without a hat. But it's possible he had "just" a red beard.
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Tristan Antoine 5 years ago
Like Harvey Weinstein (physically and the way he treated women), but with a better complexion and more hair!
Becca Gizmo the Squirrel 5 years ago
He is exactly who came to my mind. You beat me to it.
Load More Replies... #28
King Henry VII
"Here we are with Henry VII, the first tudor monarch, a frequent request from you all. Henry was the last king of England to attain the throne in battle after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485."
Final score:
63points
Sunny Hernandez 5 years ago
Thank God for Princess Di and Kate Middleton. Inbreeding leads to so much ugliness. 😁
Grumble O'Pug 5 years ago
HATE to break it to you, but Diana was OLD family and true english, not like the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha now who changed their name to Windsor and brought over the Fugtastic Hapburg genetic line. So Charles looks like Alfred E Newman.
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Bonnie Dawkins 5 years ago
I don't know about this one. Is it me? Or does he look like he's about to sell me something that I don't really need?
Janet P. Reedman 5 years ago
Oh gawd no, Rupert is better looking than that!
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Jon Frazier 5 years ago
Henry was very good at making money, often by sleezy means.
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Eric Brown 2 years ago
Henry VII was considered a good king and we sometimes wonder what he would say about the Megan Markle and Prince Harry drama still going on.
#29
Mona Lisa
Final score:
57points
Patrick O'Brien 5 years ago
Close, but if I met the likeness, I'm not sure the first thing I would think of is Mona Lisa. The shape of the face is not quite right and her expression lacks the subtlety of the original.
Jim Ellington 5 years ago
Sorry, but this is not even close. Da Vinci can be relied on to be a rather accurate portrait artist.
Mama Panda 5 years ago
Her eyes are too close together in the recreation. Making Mona lose weight was not a good idea.
Tony Whincup 5 years ago
People would be staring at her in real life thinking "where do I know this woman from ? She looks so familiar ".
Nick McPherran 5 years ago
I recently saw a animated version of Mona Lisa, in movement. A computerized simulation of personality, based on features and facial expression. It was then clear why DaVinci painted her. Her femininity, and subtle beauty were obvious. More beautiful than the actual painting, it was her mannerisms, that were captivating.
Lithae 5 years ago
Just did a search on youtube and wow... the AI generated animation, especially the middle one. She's a lot more beautiful than I would have expected.
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#30
Grace Kelly
"Grace Kelly, American film actress and Princess of Monaco."
Final score:
52points
Jim Kang 5 years ago
Look, she doesn't need you to "improve" her look. She was, and still is stunning.
Grazina Strolia 5 years ago
It's not about improving? It's about modernizing. What would they look like today?
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Opey Cresswell 5 years ago
yeah. I agree. Grace wasn't...and isn't ancient history...more recent history.
Karen Klinck 5 years ago
Grace was '50s modern. There's a certain 'datedness' to her. I don't see why she was included, though; she's too close to modern.
Load More Replies... Riz Leslie 5 years ago
Apparently this artist doesn’t find full faces to be beautiful, considering the fact that they took round and fuller faces that have nothing wrong with them and look beautiful and youthful... into thinner and more chiseled faces.
Grumble O'Pug 5 years ago
OK, Grace Kelly would not be caught dead in that cheap hairdo, accessories and lace nonsense. Let's be real.
Adrienne St Claire 5 years ago
The modernized version doesn't even look like the young Grace Kelly.
Doreen Mellor 5 years ago
in addition to a few tiny and barely noticeable photoshoppings, you have completely changed the shape of her chin, cheek and hair line and lengthened her neck - the very attributes which created her particular and very recognisable beauty are no longer there. Your version is completely unrecognisable as Grace Kelly.
#31
Mary I
Final score:
18points
Douglas Campbell 5 years ago
A+++ This should be voted higher. (Looks like Julianne Moore, sort of).
Isabella Santini 5 years ago
I'm not convinced about the eyebrows. Mary has very light, thin eyebrows in all of her portraits and never filled them in in her time though all the tools to do so were available - I don't know that she would now, but otherwise I like it. Would love to see a younger version too using her portrait in the National Portrait Gallery from 1544.
Kika González 5 years ago
She looks so harsh in the first one and only slightly less horrible in the second
#32
Anne Of Cleves
"Another of Henry VIII's wives (arguably the luckiest of the six), this portrait really shows the beauty of Anne of Cleves. The reputation she earned after being rejected by the King was completely unearned in my opinion."
Final score:
15points
Patrick O'Brien 5 years ago
She got to live, though, right? That's about as lucky as you can get.
Viviane 5 years ago
She got a pretty good settlement as well: properties and honorary membership of the royal family without the hassles.
Load More Replies... Jackie Mitchell 5 years ago
Ich bin Anna of Cleves (Ja). When he saw my portrait he was like (Ja). But I didn't look as good as I did in my pic. Funny how we all talk about that but never Henry's little....
#33
Prince Albert
"Prince Albert, shown here at age 21 and painted by John Partridge in 1840. Albert was the Prince Consort to Queen Victoria for 22 years, resulting in 9 children and a massive dynasty that would eventually extend to many of the royal houses in Europe."
Final score:
11points
Douglas Campbell 5 years ago
The eyes were probably more similar to Edward VII than this weirdness...
#34
Ingrid Bergman
"Not exactly royalty....but definitely Hollywood royalty. Academy award-winning actress Ingrid Bergman."
Final score:
10points
Nisse Danielsson 5 years ago
Just take a photo of Izabella Rossellino, het daughter, it looks exact like the photo on the right.
Jim Ellington 5 years ago
Wow, it's uncanny how accurate the picture on the right is; it's almost as if the artist had a photograph to work from.
Charolett Wells 5 years ago
He turned her into Debra Messing. IDK if I spelled that right, it's the woman from Will & Grace
Adina Hirschmann 5 years ago
She had another relative, Pia Lindstrom, a reporter for the New York affiliate of NBC News. Might have also been her daughter, with a closer resemblance.
#35
Jane Seymour
"Jane Seymour was the third wife of Henry VIII, and the only one to give him a living son and heir."
Final score:
10points
Adina Hirschmann 5 years ago
"Jane Seymour" is the stage and screen name of the actor Joyce Ann Frankenberg. The real Jane Seymour is pictured above.
Load More Replies... Jackie Mitchell 5 years ago
Jane Seymour. The only one he truly loved (Rude). When my son was newly born I died. But I'm not what I seem or. Am I? Stick around and you'll suddenly Seymour.
#36
Wallis Simpson
"Wallis Simpson was the American socialite and divorcée at the heart of the Abdication Crisis that caused King Edward VIII to give up the throne. This unlikely turn of events is the reason Queen Elizabeth II rules today, as her father (George VI) stepped in to take Edward’s place as king."
Final score:
9points
#37
Young Queen Victoria
Final score:
9points
#38
Julie Andrews
"Julie Andrews is a Hollywood ICON and star of one of my favorites, the Sound of Music."
Final score:
-1point
tuzdayschild 5 years ago
Being dead isn't a requirement according to the description.
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Adina Hirschmann 5 years ago
Her daughter looks more like her than that model. They've appeared on many talk shows promoting their books together.
Load More Replies... Rabbit Carrot 5 years ago
Why has she been turned into the love child of Kristen Stewart and Anne Heche?
Dorothy Parker 5 years ago
These current images make me question the early ones. The parts are accurate but they don't fall into place. Not Julie Andrews -like.
#39
Elizabeth Taylor
Final score:
-8points
Rens S 5 years ago
What? Why? It's just a representation of what she could look life today..
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Nikki D 5 years ago
How in the world did the one on the right manage to look nothing like her?
Viviane 5 years ago
There are pictures of Zooey Deschanel without bangs -- she looks quite different from how most viewers picture her.
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What do you think ?
Giovanni 5 years ago
I don't what to sound like an a*s but somebody is using this site to practice their photoshop skills and they are not doing a great job.
Scratch 5 years ago
You don't sound like an a*s. These are simply terrible.
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troufaki13 5 years ago (edited)
It kinda looks like that face-swapping app and it's very badly executed ☹️
Niffler_13 5 years ago
Unfortunately most of these would not be accurate. Most sculptures and paintings drastically altered how the individuals looked, in most cases to make them look better, because they had abnormalities due to incest, scars, etc or they weren't very attractive. Unless you took the bones of the individual and recreated their facial structure, that is the only way to really know, and even that isn't totally accurate.
Jillian Lloyd 5 years ago
Exactly. And there’s been no allowance made for the many “improvements” the artists imposed on their portraits which were simply “fashionable” at the time - like all the tiny rose-bud mouths, overly long noses and too-large eyes. Many of the facial proportions are stuffed up. Just popping a modern wig on an old portrait of dodgy veracity is plainly ridiculous. I was hoping to see some accurate forensic reconstructions based on the skulls or even death masks of the subjects.
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Mama Panda 5 years ago
Overall I am not pleased with these. The artist took liberties that she shouldn't have done. Giving them a slimmer face, slimmer neckline and elongating their faces makes them look cartoonish in quite a few of the recreations. To bring them more "up-to-date", changing their clothing and hairstyles should have been the only changes made to each of them.
ShireenAin'tWoke 5 years ago
I didn't want to be negative which is why my original comment was "..." but most people have said what I was going to say anyway.
Bláthnaid O’Loughlin 5 years ago
These looked like real people in the paintings, but the edited versions are seriously uncanny valley.
Sarah Conley 5 years ago
I agree. The angle of the painting/sculpture faces don't always match the photo they're put into, either.
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Devorah Firestone 5 years ago
A lot of the face shapes changed a lot, and there was too much straightening of the hair, a lot of which would have still been pretty tight after even modern straightening.
Karen Klinck 5 years ago
Although tight ringlets was the fashion of the time. Many had straight hair naturally.
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Animal Souls 5 years ago
I'm getting that women should not have curly hair vibe from this collection...
Giovanni 5 years ago
I don't what to sound like an a*s but somebody is using this site to practice their photoshop skills and they are not doing a great job.
Scratch 5 years ago
You don't sound like an a*s. These are simply terrible.
Load More Replies... troufaki13 5 years ago (edited)
It kinda looks like that face-swapping app and it's very badly executed ☹️
Niffler_13 5 years ago
Unfortunately most of these would not be accurate. Most sculptures and paintings drastically altered how the individuals looked, in most cases to make them look better, because they had abnormalities due to incest, scars, etc or they weren't very attractive. Unless you took the bones of the individual and recreated their facial structure, that is the only way to really know, and even that isn't totally accurate.
Jillian Lloyd 5 years ago
Exactly. And there’s been no allowance made for the many “improvements” the artists imposed on their portraits which were simply “fashionable” at the time - like all the tiny rose-bud mouths, overly long noses and too-large eyes. Many of the facial proportions are stuffed up. Just popping a modern wig on an old portrait of dodgy veracity is plainly ridiculous. I was hoping to see some accurate forensic reconstructions based on the skulls or even death masks of the subjects.
Load More Replies... Mama Panda 5 years ago
Overall I am not pleased with these. The artist took liberties that she shouldn't have done. Giving them a slimmer face, slimmer neckline and elongating their faces makes them look cartoonish in quite a few of the recreations. To bring them more "up-to-date", changing their clothing and hairstyles should have been the only changes made to each of them.
ShireenAin'tWoke 5 years ago
I didn't want to be negative which is why my original comment was "..." but most people have said what I was going to say anyway.
Bláthnaid O’Loughlin 5 years ago
These looked like real people in the paintings, but the edited versions are seriously uncanny valley.
Sarah Conley 5 years ago
I agree. The angle of the painting/sculpture faces don't always match the photo they're put into, either.
Load More Replies... Devorah Firestone 5 years ago
A lot of the face shapes changed a lot, and there was too much straightening of the hair, a lot of which would have still been pretty tight after even modern straightening.
Karen Klinck 5 years ago
Although tight ringlets was the fashion of the time. Many had straight hair naturally.
Load More Replies... Animal Souls 5 years ago
I'm getting that women should not have curly hair vibe from this collection...
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