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Photographer Spends Eternity Waiting For Museum Visitors To Match Artworks And The Result Is Worth The Wait
Most of us were bored at some museum at least once in our lives - except this guy! France-based photographer Stefan Draschan always keeps himself entertained at famous art galleries with his creative photography ideas.
One of those projects is “People matching famous paintings”. Although at first Draschan’s cool pictures seem perfectly staged, the secret behind them is patience. The photographer enjoys visiting different museums mostly in Paris, Vienna, and Berlin where he waits for visitors to suddenly match with a piece of classical art in a funny way. The result of his bright idea is these humorous and unique pictures of unexpected harmony between people and the classical paintings they’re facing. It’s usually the outfits that match the art, but there are also people who match with the paintings because of their hairstyles and colors, or even beards.
Scroll down to see this ongoing project for yourself and beware – Stefan Draschan might be somewhere out there “hunting” for you!ng” for you!
More info: stefandraschan.com
This post may include affiliate links.
I love how the seam in the baseboard mimics the walking stick in the painting.
I don't know where these photos are taken, but the way this woman dresses is fairly common in The Netherlands. She's a 'type'. (Middle-aged, overweight, short hair, an abundance of fabric in the clothes)
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man, the painting is just like his self-portrait with a different haircut.
i look at this and think of all the people that blame our modern processed food for our health problems. Clearly, genetics have always mattered most.
I don't know where these photos are taken, but the way this woman dresses is fairly common in The Netherlands. She's a 'type'. (Middle-aged, overweight, short hair, an abundance of fabric in the clothes) So the odds look pretty big to me.
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This photo made me sad and annoyed. I am not sure this woman would be happy to be 'seen' like the figure in the painting. I sure as hell wouldn't want to be associated with this.
..I worry she would be sad seeing this photo of herself. I know I would.
People visiting zoo's is also a place to be, and see. 218173_738...75c00f.jpg 
I doubt the man in the painting cares, but the woman viewing may.
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Is the white-bloused person - in the painting on left - pointing at the chubby guy on the painting in the middle?? Hope not :'D
Yes, and he's saying "Doesn't that woman who passed us look just like that guy next door?"
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this almost looks staged...what are the odds of the exact 'costume' being in front of this painting
Looks like she escaped from the painting and is trying to decide whether or not to go back.
It looks like she pulled the missing bits off to make her shirt! :-)
Interesting how "because my scarf match the colour of the sofa" make us think those are the same girl.
maybe it's just the perspective of the camera shot - but does anyone else think these people are WAY too close to the paintings they're looking at?
There is no repeated pattern between the clothes and the painting... Yet they just looks like a set.
Oh please stop writing irrelevant comments, you waste my scroll-down process! You have such a beautiful and one-in-a-lifetime photograph and you what you have seen is the blue tag on her leg?????Are you kidding me??!!!
When I see this painting all I can think of is Love Shack by the B-52s.
Lo'vyn, it's not just the painting that the artist is "matching"; it's the whole person and contact within which the painting sits. Your criticism throughout this article appears to come from a basis of - not very much at all. Like someone else said, why not google and get back to us?
He serves to lead the eyes into the painting... Yes... He's part of the art.
Before anyone says anything, he's probably checking the app that the art gallery has to learn more.
That is such a strange fabric.... what is that piece of clothing?
The photographer just used his baldness to create the lightest spot for focus. 😂
I'm wondering if they're actually staged, at least some of them. Like he sees someone come into the room he's waiting in, and so he asks them to stand in front while he takes the photo. Potentially he waits at the entrance of the gallery and then guides people to the appropriate painting - even better hit rate then.
I'm wondering the same thing. Like maybe it started as a coincidence, but then he started staging.
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Life imitates art, a f****d up world trying to be the perfect picture.
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This photographer is insanely patient. And no one else nearby? Bonus! Those are busy museums!!
Have a look on how i work and decide for yourself. For me it's supersimple https://peoplematchingartworksdiy.tumblr.com/
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So is the point that he was patient or that he is good at drawing comparisons? What makes good art? Is patience always necessary? Or is vision enough?
You can have all the vision you want, but execution takes patience.
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O.M.G. how wonderful. Staged, I don't think so, but even so it takes some insight, forethought and tons of patience to do what has been done here. Sorry if I sound like a Museum Snob, but I did retire from a Fine Arts Museum. Gotta go now and spread this URL around.
i did this today so you can see how i silently work: https://peoplematchingartworksdiy.tumblr.com/
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I could see him knowing the museum intimately, then noticing a visitor coming in who matches one, and quietly following them around until they get there.
exactly :-) https://peoplematchingartworksdiy.tumblr.com/
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The visitors are attracted to paintings according to their taste and their taste is visible on their clothing.
Not sure how he made them. Most of the museums don't allow the use of professional cameras. But love the work.
In europe it's allowed, the use of a tripod is not allowed. Have a look on how i work just from today https://peoplematchingartworksdiy.tumblr.com/
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They’re beautiful either way. And, from my own experience, I have to say it is amazing how often a person will get in front of a work of art and match exactly what they’re looking at. I have at least a half dozen images just like that. And that’s just from the moment I happened to walk by. I imagine, if I’d spent all day in museums that would happen much more often.
Staged or not, makes me want to go to my local art museum and people watch <3
I can't say it's a coincidence, i say it's a long waited shot with much dedication. Great job
This is actually me at Clink Prison, London. Totally genuine unplanned surprise. Rick-at-Cl...817dee.jpg 
people who go to exhibits tend to be aware of the contents of the exhibit. they probably naturally dressed for the occasion (as people interested in visual arts), which doesn't detract from the beauty of their apparent attraction to these images
I'm a photographer myself, and I know how har it is. The title is juste lying, it's a bait clic. The photographer ask the people to dress in a certain way, and to pause for him in front of the picture. No doubt !
Great! I actually made a shot myself by case: https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/static/files/styles/asset_image_full/public/assets/images/museumsselfie-ellen_0.png?itok=B5nrx4un How do you like it? Best
I'm having a really, really hard time believing that at least a few of these aren't planned in advance. However, they are incredible......great job!
Some of these are spot on but others seem way off the mark. I wonder why she chose them.
once my pants were matching to restaurant restroom floor :))) IMG_8341-5...54cb93.jpg 
Incredible. Staged or not, that is incredible. That is true art. :v
It does not matter how it is staged because at the end of the day the photographer needs to know the paintings incredibly well to even achieve this or at worst infinite patience to get one right before moving to the next. I suppose losers suspect artists copy, actors imitate and musicians reproduce moods. Thank you sr Diao for this most interesting exhibition.
These coincidences all occurred at weddings. The only one I interfered with was the redhead by the Michelangelo print, who I asked to freeze as she was till I could switch to a different camera. 31474_6123...e64651.jpg 
These all happened completely randomly while I was photographing weddings. The only one I helped was the redhead by the Michelangelo, in that I asked her to freeze like she was till I grabbed a camera with a portrait lens mounted on it. 31474_6123...52d1db.jpg 
OMG these photos are masterpieces in themselves. Hats off to the photographer.
Here's another coincidence (from the Pergamon Museum in Berlin) coincidenc...b508dc.jpg 
who cares if it is staged, it is so awesome, being staged would be the last thing i would care about, really people, wow, some people always find something to be negative about
Nothing new!! Already done by Laurent Muschel ! http://www.laurentmuschel.com/fr/accueil.html
Very well done. A good eye, whether staged or not. He committed to his art and we get to see the end product. I enjoyed it. :) Always a surprise how well the person/clothing suited the painting. He must have studied all the paintings prior.
I don't care how it was done, these are wonderful! Brilliant! What total FUN to look at each one!
Does it matter if it’s staged? The premise is clever and the photos are enticing.
I greatly enjoyed browsing these but was surprised how many of those photographed were, or had, photographed the picture they were studying - didn’t think that was allowed!
I'm wondering if some people linger at paintings without realizing that the pics they gravitate towards happen to be colors and patterns that they like (thus their similarity in attire).
Or you can pay actors to come in and stage it. Yes that would be a lot easier and no one would have to know.
Or you can pay actors to come in and stage the thing. Yes that would be a lot easier. And possibly no one would have to know.
Possibly encouraged, but it wouldn't surprise me if it did happen fairly frequently. It actually makes sense if you consider many people go to museums to see artists they love. Why couldn't the colors, lines and patterns that bring us joy in art seep into our everyday lives?
Some art appreciation type folks actually do this. Dress to match their fav pieces or in the colors that match the fav piece. It's a thing! Been going on for a long time now, even before the internet existed.
These were incredible! Though towards the end, I think they were a bit of a stretch. I think he shot #103 just because the girl was hot LOL. He has a very sharp eye for color and hue. Seems like people are naturally chameleon-like or naturally drawn to particular colors and patterns.
What does the actual photographer say? I can’t figure nd the link for more info.
I took this last year at the Women Abstract Expressionists exhibit @denverartmuseum 14355635_1...1bf72c.jpg 
This was not staged. - Brooklyn Museum, NYC, Summer 2017 IMG_0359-5...d5cc7c.jpg 
Not by any stretch of the imagination, but maybe the photo?
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I couldn't sit still that long, I would stage something like this and wouldn't blame the artist for doing the same. Just don't call it something else.
This was not staged. Brooklyn Museum: Georgia O'Keeffe show, summer, 2017 IMG_0359-5...f94388.jpg 
Most if not all of these are staged. Plus, no art galleries I've visited let me take photographs. Kinda sketch.
Maybe not galleries where the art is for sale, but I've taken photos in art museums plenty of times. Sometimes they prohibit flash photography, so you need to be able to turn off the flash on your camera. In one museum I went to, they required a permit to take photographs, so one person in our group bought a permit and we had him take all the photos we wanted.
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Staged? some of them maybe, but still beautiful. And powerful how some of the viewers become part of the art and in other paintings, the viewers beg comparisons between them and the subjects in the artwork - there are centuries between them, but still we can see the similarities/ their shared humanity. If those are staged, I might even respect them more - kinda part of a larger idea.
Really none is staged, i'm a street photographer. This is from today, so you can guess how much is possible: https://peoplematchingartworksdiy.tumblr.com/
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It's magnificent it seems to be a double art a painting with in painting.
Staged or not. .....pretty cool. Makes me want to go to my local art museum and watch the people <3
Sooooo staged it hurts that you think otherwise............ and rather embarrassing. Call it what it is. Don’t lie
hahaha! Your statement says a lot about you and your knowledge https://peoplematchingartworksdiy.tumblr.com/
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What is the true definition of the word 'eternity' because if it truly did take the photographer an eternity as the caption claims, then would we even be seeing these photos right now?' Anyone who believes that these are not staged is naive and mindless and blindly believes everything others tell them without using logic or common sense. I really enjoyed the work show but not the lies and deception. Ad Astra
? I dont know what you think but.. https://peoplematchingartworksdiy.tumblr.com/
Load More Replies...
I'm wondering if they're actually staged, at least some of them. Like he sees someone come into the room he's waiting in, and so he asks them to stand in front while he takes the photo. Potentially he waits at the entrance of the gallery and then guides people to the appropriate painting - even better hit rate then.
I'm wondering the same thing. Like maybe it started as a coincidence, but then he started staging.
Load More Replies... Life imitates art, a f****d up world trying to be the perfect picture.
Load More Replies... This photographer is insanely patient. And no one else nearby? Bonus! Those are busy museums!!
Have a look on how i work and decide for yourself. For me it's supersimple https://peoplematchingartworksdiy.tumblr.com/
Load More Replies... So is the point that he was patient or that he is good at drawing comparisons? What makes good art? Is patience always necessary? Or is vision enough?
You can have all the vision you want, but execution takes patience.
Load More Replies... O.M.G. how wonderful. Staged, I don't think so, but even so it takes some insight, forethought and tons of patience to do what has been done here. Sorry if I sound like a Museum Snob, but I did retire from a Fine Arts Museum. Gotta go now and spread this URL around.
i did this today so you can see how i silently work: https://peoplematchingartworksdiy.tumblr.com/
Load More Replies... I could see him knowing the museum intimately, then noticing a visitor coming in who matches one, and quietly following them around until they get there.
exactly :-) https://peoplematchingartworksdiy.tumblr.com/
Load More Replies... The visitors are attracted to paintings according to their taste and their taste is visible on their clothing.
Not sure how he made them. Most of the museums don't allow the use of professional cameras. But love the work.
In europe it's allowed, the use of a tripod is not allowed. Have a look on how i work just from today https://peoplematchingartworksdiy.tumblr.com/
Load More Replies... They’re beautiful either way. And, from my own experience, I have to say it is amazing how often a person will get in front of a work of art and match exactly what they’re looking at. I have at least a half dozen images just like that. And that’s just from the moment I happened to walk by. I imagine, if I’d spent all day in museums that would happen much more often.
Staged or not, makes me want to go to my local art museum and people watch <3
I can't say it's a coincidence, i say it's a long waited shot with much dedication. Great job
This is actually me at Clink Prison, London. Totally genuine unplanned surprise. Rick-at-Cl...817dee.jpg
people who go to exhibits tend to be aware of the contents of the exhibit. they probably naturally dressed for the occasion (as people interested in visual arts), which doesn't detract from the beauty of their apparent attraction to these images
I'm a photographer myself, and I know how har it is. The title is juste lying, it's a bait clic. The photographer ask the people to dress in a certain way, and to pause for him in front of the picture. No doubt !
Great! I actually made a shot myself by case: https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/static/files/styles/asset_image_full/public/assets/images/museumsselfie-ellen_0.png?itok=B5nrx4un How do you like it? Best
I'm having a really, really hard time believing that at least a few of these aren't planned in advance. However, they are incredible......great job!
Some of these are spot on but others seem way off the mark. I wonder why she chose them.
once my pants were matching to restaurant restroom floor :))) IMG_8341-5...54cb93.jpg
Incredible. Staged or not, that is incredible. That is true art. :v
It does not matter how it is staged because at the end of the day the photographer needs to know the paintings incredibly well to even achieve this or at worst infinite patience to get one right before moving to the next. I suppose losers suspect artists copy, actors imitate and musicians reproduce moods. Thank you sr Diao for this most interesting exhibition.
These coincidences all occurred at weddings. The only one I interfered with was the redhead by the Michelangelo print, who I asked to freeze as she was till I could switch to a different camera. 31474_6123...e64651.jpg
These all happened completely randomly while I was photographing weddings. The only one I helped was the redhead by the Michelangelo, in that I asked her to freeze like she was till I grabbed a camera with a portrait lens mounted on it. 31474_6123...52d1db.jpg
OMG these photos are masterpieces in themselves. Hats off to the photographer.
Here's another coincidence (from the Pergamon Museum in Berlin) coincidenc...b508dc.jpg
who cares if it is staged, it is so awesome, being staged would be the last thing i would care about, really people, wow, some people always find something to be negative about
Nothing new!! Already done by Laurent Muschel ! http://www.laurentmuschel.com/fr/accueil.html
Very well done. A good eye, whether staged or not. He committed to his art and we get to see the end product. I enjoyed it. :) Always a surprise how well the person/clothing suited the painting. He must have studied all the paintings prior.
I don't care how it was done, these are wonderful! Brilliant! What total FUN to look at each one!
Does it matter if it’s staged? The premise is clever and the photos are enticing.
I greatly enjoyed browsing these but was surprised how many of those photographed were, or had, photographed the picture they were studying - didn’t think that was allowed!
I'm wondering if some people linger at paintings without realizing that the pics they gravitate towards happen to be colors and patterns that they like (thus their similarity in attire).
Or you can pay actors to come in and stage it. Yes that would be a lot easier and no one would have to know.
Or you can pay actors to come in and stage the thing. Yes that would be a lot easier. And possibly no one would have to know.
Possibly encouraged, but it wouldn't surprise me if it did happen fairly frequently. It actually makes sense if you consider many people go to museums to see artists they love. Why couldn't the colors, lines and patterns that bring us joy in art seep into our everyday lives?
Some art appreciation type folks actually do this. Dress to match their fav pieces or in the colors that match the fav piece. It's a thing! Been going on for a long time now, even before the internet existed.
These were incredible! Though towards the end, I think they were a bit of a stretch. I think he shot #103 just because the girl was hot LOL. He has a very sharp eye for color and hue. Seems like people are naturally chameleon-like or naturally drawn to particular colors and patterns.
What does the actual photographer say? I can’t figure nd the link for more info.
I took this last year at the Women Abstract Expressionists exhibit @denverartmuseum 14355635_1...1bf72c.jpg
This was not staged. - Brooklyn Museum, NYC, Summer 2017 IMG_0359-5...d5cc7c.jpg
Not by any stretch of the imagination, but maybe the photo?
Load More Replies... I couldn't sit still that long, I would stage something like this and wouldn't blame the artist for doing the same. Just don't call it something else.
This was not staged. Brooklyn Museum: Georgia O'Keeffe show, summer, 2017 IMG_0359-5...f94388.jpg
Most if not all of these are staged. Plus, no art galleries I've visited let me take photographs. Kinda sketch.
Maybe not galleries where the art is for sale, but I've taken photos in art museums plenty of times. Sometimes they prohibit flash photography, so you need to be able to turn off the flash on your camera. In one museum I went to, they required a permit to take photographs, so one person in our group bought a permit and we had him take all the photos we wanted.
Load More Replies... Staged? some of them maybe, but still beautiful. And powerful how some of the viewers become part of the art and in other paintings, the viewers beg comparisons between them and the subjects in the artwork - there are centuries between them, but still we can see the similarities/ their shared humanity. If those are staged, I might even respect them more - kinda part of a larger idea.
Really none is staged, i'm a street photographer. This is from today, so you can guess how much is possible: https://peoplematchingartworksdiy.tumblr.com/
Load More Replies... It's magnificent it seems to be a double art a painting with in painting.
Staged or not. .....pretty cool. Makes me want to go to my local art museum and watch the people <3
Sooooo staged it hurts that you think otherwise............ and rather embarrassing. Call it what it is. Don’t lie
hahaha! Your statement says a lot about you and your knowledge https://peoplematchingartworksdiy.tumblr.com/
Load More Replies... What is the true definition of the word 'eternity' because if it truly did take the photographer an eternity as the caption claims, then would we even be seeing these photos right now?' Anyone who believes that these are not staged is naive and mindless and blindly believes everything others tell them without using logic or common sense. I really enjoyed the work show but not the lies and deception. Ad Astra
? I dont know what you think but.. https://peoplematchingartworksdiy.tumblr.com/
Load More Replies... 