Classical art pieces are known for their timelessness and enduring value. Such artworks like The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo or The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli might always be remembered, appreciated and spoken about for centuries or even millennia to come. However, some artists from the past are not always recognizable by people of today. That’s where memes come to help! Through these elements of modern culture, classical artworks can be given a contemporary and fun twist that attracts new audiences.
If you’re a long-time reader of Bored Panda, you might’ve noticed that we love classical art memes. Well, just memes in general. Their relatability, perfectly captured moods and a sense of absurdity are what keep us coming back for more!
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For today, we’ve gathered the best classical art memes, as shared in this Facebook group called “Classic Art Memes Moderated”. From sad faces to weird human-supernatural creature interactions, scroll down to rediscover the joy of art! If you’re a meme lover just like we are, don’t hesitate to check out similar posts with even more of these goodies here and here.
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Image credits: Vicky Mullaney
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Image credits: Lisa-Marie Whilton
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Image credits: Kitty Johnson
To learn more about memes and their influence on our communication, we reached out to Dr. Idil Galip, a Lecturer in New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam. Her research focuses on the production of internet memes and the people who make them. She also runs the Meme Studies Research Network and enjoys writing and making memes herself! “Most of my memes are gripes about what I think is wrong with the world and myself, it’s free therapy.” Scroll down for the whole interview!
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Image credits: Cindi van Cleave
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Image credits: Sylvia Jane Townsend
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Image credits: Paril Langard
Memes have become a common sight in today’s online culture. From humorous one-liners to relatable situations, it’s hard to scroll through social media without coming across at least one of these cultural phenomenons. But what is it about memes that makes them so well-liked? According to Idil, internet memes are very popular mostly because they are cheap and easy to make and distribute. “You can also put together a meme in a relatively short amount of time. Moreover, the ugliness, or even incompletion, of a quickly made meme is often celebrated for its humor and irreverence.”
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Image credits: Emma Debay
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Image credits: Ri Hollands Figueroa Tait
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Image credits: Robert Kelleher
The internet has undeniably changed the way we communicate and share information and memes have been playing a big role in this digital landscape. However, the concept of a “meme” is not unique to the internet era. Idil shared that while internet memes are obviously linked to the internet and digital culture, they have existed for as long as culture has existed. “If we are to take on Richard Dawkins’s definition of the ‘meme’, then they are simply units of culture that are shared between people. This definition makes the history of memes much more expansive and far-reaching. Limor Shifman, who is a key figure in meme research, explains that internet memes are postmodern folklore. So, we could say that memes are inherent within folklore generally.”
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Image credits: Ian Kelley
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Image credits: Rebecca Pierce
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Image credits: Colin Wade
While the popularity of memes shows no signs of slowing down, it might be interesting to know what elements are necessary for something to be considered a meme. Idil explained that if we look at academic research about the matter, the main elements of a meme are content, form and stance. “Although ultimately, a meme becomes a meme once it is shared with others. The logic of circulation, or sharing, is part and parcel of memes.”
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Image credits: Sergios Andronikidis
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Image credits: Kitty Johnson
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Image credits: Jason Jason
While a lot of memes are created purely for entertainment, others can be used for communication and social commentary. According to Idil, memes play a variety of roles in today’s culture. “They are fulfilling social, political, cultural and even economic functions. Something that surprises people is the fact that sharing a meme with a friend can be an act of friendship! I recently saw a tweet that described the TikToks that friends send each other as ‘friend homework,’ for example. Another significant role they play is that they facilitate the construction of identity, and community belonging. We can tell stories about who we are and extend narratives about ourselves and our worlds by making, sharing and engaging with internet memes. They’re also a good way to kill time.”
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Image credits: Jeffrey Stundel
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Image credits: Bruno Nöma Tomljanović
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Image credits: Hani Schaduwloper
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Image credits: Sherry Loucks
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Image credits: Mido Merel
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Image credits: Appuz Pluto
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Image credits: Luna Cee
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Image credits: Cheesy LaVeda
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Image credits: Vicky Mullaney
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Image credits: Whitney Pritchard
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Image credits: Very Vocal Viking
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Image credits: Tom Ponzio
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Image credits: Hani Schaduwloper
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Image credits: Lindita Odjoska
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Image credits: Whitney Pritchard
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Image credits: Hani Schaduwloper
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Image credits: Hani Schaduwloper
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Image credits: Sam Sam
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Image credits: Hani Schaduwloper
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Image credits: Ted Nordheimer
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Image credits: Malinda Kester
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Image credits: Lisa Dona
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Image credits: Mido Merel
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Image credits: Kitty Johnson
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Image credits: Nicole Sapia
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Image credits: Leslie Lynch Gintz
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Image credits: Memes of Art & Existential Dread
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Image credits: Lisa-Marie Whilton
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Image credits: Ash Leigh
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Image credits: Stefanie Marriott
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Image credits: Les Gee
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Image credits: Lisa Dona
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Image credits: Kevin Elliott
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Image credits: Adbo Sami
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Image credits: Kitty Johnson
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Image credits: Jordan Lanzo
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Image credits: Hani Schaduwloper
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Image credits: Vicky Mullaney
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Image credits: Cheesy LaVeda
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Image credits: Lisa-Marie Whilton
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Image credits: Angye Leal
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Image credits: Abby Allen
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Image credits: Kevin Elliott
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Image credits: Kevin Elliott
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Image credits: Sandy Holmes
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Image credits: Joe Simpson
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Image credits: Keith Porteous
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Image credits: Leslie Lynch Gintz
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Image credits: Jeff Wisner
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Image credits: Amanda Kessler
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Image credits: Inge Boulonois
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Image credits: Andrea Stegman
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Image credits: Joe Simpson
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Image credits: Penny Wasylyk
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Image credits: Adbo Sami
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Image credits: Abby Allen
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Image credits: Celeste Aesthetic
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Image credits: Lajla Wegger Tosterud
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Image credits: Luna Cee
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Image credits: Dennis Loucks
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Image credits: Lisa-Marie Whilton
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Image credits: John Furman
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Image credits: Sherry Loucks
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Image credits: Vicky Mullaney
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Image credits: Khalid Lotfi
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Image credits: Lisa Dona
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Image credits: Lisa Dona
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Image credits: Loft Boxer
Source: boredpanda.com