The philosophy of 'Accidental Reinassance'

In today's article we will talk about the artistic movement called 'Accidental Reinassance', its controversial nature and its importance in a modern society. 

Renaissance is a French word meaning “rebirth.” It refers to a period in European civilization that was marked by a revival of Classical learning and wisdom. Renaissance artwork is instantly recognizable for characteristics like dramatic composition and a striking contrast between light and dark. Sometimes, these elements unexpectedly pop up in modern-day images. Reddit users have created a subreddit called Accidental Renaissance to share these striking photos. 

“What we mean by Accidental Renaissance is a photo that inadvertently (accidentally) resembles a painting similar in composition, style, lighting, and/or subject to Renaissance-style art,” the subreddit explains. This subreddit has become very popular over time, creating to all intents and purposes what we can define as an entire artistic movement. This popularity has caused that even outside Reddit, the term “accidental Renaissance” has become a colloquialism — shorthand for a digital image that stirs the sensation of looking at a well-composed painting.

The incredible accessibility of this format made the works taken for r/Accidentalreinassance extremely well respected between photographers and users. 

The “Accidental Renaissance” title comes from an image from New Year 2016, which saw a series of late-night revellers laying on the streets of Manchester in poses resemblant of renaissance-era paintings. The reason I believe this movement is so important in our society is because it allows us to see and produce social criticism through very artistic and free lenses. It often happens to come across comic images of cats or objects with the aim of lightening the atmosphere, however there are also heavy works with a lot of conceptual and artistic depth. Furthermore allows a young or inexperienced audience to approach photographers who have not had the opportunity to promote themselves in a sea that swallows this field.

Many, including Bored Panta, continue to support this subreddit and art movement on different platforms including Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram, so it is unlikely that this journey that began in 2016 will end anytime soon.