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Artist Reimagines Elegant Renaissance Sculptures to Show Their Playful Personalities

By Emma Taggart on January 12, 2018

Barcelona-based artist Gerard Mas creates reimagined Renaissance sculptures that depict how women of the 15th century might behave if they lived during modern times. The surreal, humorous pieces made from marble feature elegant ladies from the past in old-fashioned clothing. However, instead of looking glum like they would have been depicted in the Renaissance era, Mas shows them to be full of mischief and personality.

Some of the playful characters are shown sticking out their tongue, picking their nose, chewing gum, or blowing bubbles. One wears facial piercings and tattoos, while another has a sunburn from a day at the beach. “I thought about the millions of attitudes and situations that old artworks couldn't capture because they were simply inappropriate for a lady in the 15th century,” Mas explained to Vice.

Having previously worked as an art restorer, Mas has years of experience working with carved stone. “The continuous contact with dusty works of art from the past had irreversibly contaminated my way of work,” says Mas, who decided to dedicate all of this time to making his sculptures. The artist’s ideas for new works often come to him “like a flash.” He then makes them into reality, starting with maquettes and clay models. “I make molds to make copies in a hard material, then I copy these shapes in definitive materials like stone or wood. It's a long process,” explains Mas, who believes that each of his pieces is deserving of the process.

You can find more of Mas’ fantastic work on Instagram.