What Would Famous Artworks Look Like in Times of Social Distancing?

Hrag Vartanian, After Kerry James Marshall, “Past Times” (1997) (image courtesy the artist)

What would Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” look like if its famous wailing figure was isolating at home for two weeks? Or what if Holofernes was self-quarantining instead of being attacked by Judith in Artemisia Gentileschi’s famous painting “Judith beheading Holofernes”? Inspired by a classic meme genre (photoshopping well-known artwork) and what we’re now ubiquitously referring to as “social distancing” (the strategy we’re all adopting to contain the spread of COVID-19) Hyperallergic took works by some of our favorite artists and reimagined what they would look like during these, um, sparsely populated times.

Here are some of the slightly lonely, newly mysterious creations we’re most proud of.

Hrag Vartanian, After Edvard Munch, “The Scream” (1893) (image courtesy the artist)

Valentina di Liscia, After Artemisia Gentileschi, “Judith beheading Holofernes” (1611-12) (image courtesy the artist)

Hrag Vartanian, After Edgar Degas, “L’Absinthe” (1875-1876) (image courtesy the artist)

Valentina di Liscia, After Frida Kahlo, “The Two Fridas” (1939) (image courtesy the artist)

Hrag Vartanian, After a page from Book of the Dead (c. 1275 B.C.E.) (image courtesy the artist)