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.”
#1 Hope
Image source: throne_johne
#2 The Modern Mona Lisa
Image source: daft-punker
#3 Our Cat Trying To Steal Cheese
Image source: Openminded_skeptic
#4 Oranges Photographed Through The Glass Panes Of A Greenhouse
Image source: mikeleus
#5 Blinky In The Sun. Our Pupper Passed Away This Morning. I Always Thought This iPhone Photo Of Him Looked Like A Painting
Image source: awheelz84
#6 Accidentally Took A Picture Of My Cat That Looks Like An Old Master’s Painting
Image source: hueftenspeck
#7 Feline Friendship
Image source: crazy_turtle
#8 The Selfie
Image source: reddit.com
#9 A Caring Matriarch
Image source: shy-latte
#10 We’ll Be Home Soon
Image source: kartofun69
#11 The Coffee Shop Window
Image source: KingofHarts32
#12 A Monk In Italy. (Photographer: Steve Mccurry)
Image source: santino_jann
#13 The Creation Of Internets
Image source: Plastic_Mouldsman
#14 A Little Girl Carrying A Lamb To Shelter From Falling Ash During Iceland’s 2010 Volcanic Eruption
Image source: takemedady
#15 Renaissance Chickens
Image source: rattechnology
#16 Firefighters Taking A Break Out West
Image source: Rat_Cat_Batman
#17 13th Attempt To Break The Gaza Blockade By Sea
Image source: radonchong
#18 These Musicians In A Restaurant In Greece
Image source: WeeShirtOn
#19 Mr. Fluffies Betrayal
Image source: Mustbetheweather3
#20 Reflect
Image source: Bozhark
#21 The Horsemen
Image source: laceandhoney
#22 This Lady Peeling Pomegranates
Image source: jacobyh7
#23 Two Mice Fighting.
Image source: sk8boy102
#24 Concert Selfie
Image source: ironypatrol
#25 A Monk Prays For An Elderly Man Who Had Died Suddenly While Waiting For A Train In China.
Image source: milsyway
#26 Supper At Home
Image source: watsin_aname
#27 Snapped This Moment During My 12 Day – 110 Mile (800 Head Of Cattle) Drive From Utah To Arizona
Image source: crazyoldmaurice
#28 Power From On High: Two Weed Farming Nuns
Image source: alterego_001
#29 Vasiliy Is Still Breathing
Image source: gibgod
#30 Russian Soldier Playing An Abandoned Piano In Chechnya
Image source: ultralightdick
#31 Brokering Of The Candy
Image source: reddit.com
#32 Adoration Of The Rose
Image source: beka_targaryen
#33 A Young Man, Illuminated By Mobile Phones, Recites A Poem While Protestors Chant Slogans Calling For Civilian Rule, During A Blackout In Khartoum, Sudan
Image source: Somali_Pir8
#34 The First Batch (The Bakehouse In Vancouver)
Image source: DyslexicSquirrel
#35 Stumbled Upon A Fair In Brussels Recently. Truly Accidental Renaissance For Me!
Image source: jotwing13
#36 My Girlfriend’s Uncle Took A Photo Of This Monk At A 13th Century Monastery
Image source: mtkeepsrolling
#37 Seated Jester
Image source: CosmicRustle
#38 Keanu Reeves Ascends To Save Mankind
Image source: worstwerewolf
#39 Friend Took This Photo Of Me Napping The Other Day, Was Told I Should Post It Here
Image source: goldilocksdeluxe
#40 The Barista
Image source: watsin_aname
#41 Chinese Policemen Visiting The Remote Region Of Xinjiang To Spread Awareness Of The Coronavirus (2020)
Image source: docteurfake
#42 The Petulant Donald
Image source: NocturnalEternal
#43 In The Train,india
Image source: yehbikgayehaigormint
#44 Stevie Nicks Photographed At A Fleetwood Mac Concert In 1978
Image source: dancovzz
#45 Dearly Beloved
Image source: SirBroDude
#46 Student At Rest
Image source: ohwellthisisawkward
#47 An Amish Vacation
Image source: westondeboer
#48 King James Falling Into The Seats Looked Like Some Sort Of Renaissance Composition
Image source: GallowBoob
#49 Japanese Opposition Members Trying To Block The Passing Of New Immigration Laws
Image source: berryjam
#50 A Feast In The Capital City
Image source: median401k
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