Challenge to recreate famous artworks becomes international internet sensation

What started as an online initiative by one museum is now a popular quarantine activity worldwide.

Paul Morris recreates Joseph Ducreux's “Self-Portrait, Yawning” Source: Dateline

The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles challenged those stuck in isolation around the world to post photos of recreations of their favourite artworks. The challenge that tasked people to create art from objects around the house has now become viral.

Arts industries around the world have been decimated by coronavirus restrictions, with bans on large gatherings forcing museums to shut their doors and events to stop.

The initiative has encouraged art lovers to remain connected with their favourite institutions. Other museums have been inspired to start other initiatives, with Pinchuk Art Centre in Kyiv, Ukraine, launching a similar project.

One Russian Facebook group, “Covid Antistress Art Flashmob” has more than 580,000 members from around the world posting imitations of famous artworks.

Dateline has collected some of the best posts from Getty Museum and beyond:

Margarita Sikorskaâ "Harvest" by Юлия Охотникова Source: Covid Antistress Art Flashmob

Yuliya Okhotnikova posted this photo on the popular Facebook group Covid Antistress Art Flashmob: “And my version of the harvest! I still can't believe all five kids are mine. We tried to get this done for over a week and we didn't even get close every time. Today more or less we have done the challenge. No one was bitten, ran away, did not leave, ate a colony.”

Male Harp Player of the Early Spedos Type, 2700–2300- by Irena Ochódzka Source: Getty Museum

“It seemed like a good idea to combine a more seriously inspired harpist pose with something as mundane as a vacuum cleaner,” Irena Ochódzka told the Getty Museum.

Angela Jerich “Travel to the USSR” by Gulnar Magerramova Source: Gulnar Magerramova

“My first job, we tried," Gulnar Magerramova posted on Facebook.

Orazio Gentileschi “Lot and His Daughters” by Qie Zhang, Erik Carlsson and their daughters. Source: Getty Museum

"[This Baroque masterpiece] was the first painting that stood out to me [in the Getty collections] and I thought we could do it pretty easily,” Qie Zhang told the Getty Museum.

Briton Riviere “Loyalty” by Антонина Хамидулина Source: Dateline

Antonina Khamidulina said this was her third recreation so far. She is using her husband's clothes and "in place of a large jug, a fire extinguisher."

Joseph Ducreux “Self-Portrait, Yawning” by Paul Morris Source: Getty Museum

Paul Morris told the Getty Museum he “always had the red coat” and “My wife added the twisty towel for my head and the white dish towel for the cravat, and also took the photo.”

Finally, the Mona Lisa.

Source: Getty Museum