Artist Recreates AI Renderings of Famous Historical Figures

Dutch photographer and digital artist Bas Uterwijk shines a light on what iconic figures from history might have looked like in real life. By using various digital manipulation tools, he is able to create photorealistic portraits of famous artists, leaders, mummies, philosophical thinkers, and even the models of paintings.

Based in Amsterdam, Uterwijk has a background in computer graphics, 3D animation, and special effects. He uses a well-known image of each subject to transform them into a photographic portrait. For instance, the enigmatic Mona Lisa is reimagined as a real person with barely-there brows, luminescent skin, and bright eyes. Even some of the most famous sculptures from art history receive a makeover, like Michelangelo’s David and the Statue of Liberty—the latter of whom is represented in characteristic blue tones reminiscent of her real-life patina.