Have you ever wondered why the subjects featured in classical art never seem to smile?
One explanation is that before the modern era, getting your portrait done was a very rare occurrence that may only happen once in a person’s lifetime, so it was taken very seriously. Getting your likeness painted or sculpted was also simply an extremely time-consuming process that would make it very difficult to hold a smile. That’s why the people in classic paintings and sculptures we see today seem so unhappy, but with modern technology, this guy’s been having a blast turning their frowns upside down.
When Olly Gibbs went to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, he used FaceApp, an application that can put smiles on nearly any serious face, on the exhibits he came across.
As you can see, some of the results are pretty goofy.
Others, however, are a tad bit creepy.
But with each one, a simple smile brightened up their faces so much.
They even feel more approachable, too!
Each side-by-side provesthat smiles add so much character.
Read More: His Intricate Drawings Are So Incredible, They Crawl Right Off The Page!
This man looks like he’s been holding in a laugh for quite some time.
Here’s the different between looking at a stranger and someone you hold dear.
It’s really too bad that these subjects weren’t smiling in their original portraits, because the second images inspire so much more happiness.
Now he looks like an old friend instead of an intimidating figure.
And here we’ve gone from brooding and taking yourself too seriously to being playful and pleasant.
If more classical paintings were like these, I’d definitely visit more museums!
(via BoredPanda)