[19th century painters at least.]
These images were all created using the Midjourney v3 text to image A.I., a single prompt, without any further touch up.
We’ll leave most of the commentary on this to a later date when we’ve had a nice nap and a bit of ‘chase the stick’.
Let us know what you think in the comment section.
Artist
Midjourney Result
Thoughts
Netherlands, 1852–1909
So, Laura Theresa Alma-Tadema. Wife of Lawrence Alma-Tadema. This family was full of painters. Both the husband and wife, but also two daughters. While the family shown some similarities in their work, we think the A.I. is only referencing that of the husband and father Lawrence (also listed below).
Lawrence, not to be confused with his painter-daughter Laurence, who had a somewhat similar style of painting. I think the A.I. paints the whole family in a similar corner frankly, even when their artistic efforts are separate.
United States, 1785–1851
Wonderful cross-polination happens when asking for dogs in the style of a painter that doesn’t paint them. Audubon was a noted painter and illustrator of birds. Here, we have feathered and beaked canines, literal ‘bird-dogs’. This is a crossover SO worth exploring further. Glitches like this are really what makes A.I.-driven art a fun and interesting form.
France, 1825–1905
These are really just wonderful and capture Bourguereau’s approach to color and brush stroke. However, they also sort of look like the artwork of 1910s postcards.
United States, 1844–1926
Painter and print marker born here in Pennsylvania, Cassatt later moved to Paris where she was invited by Degas to show with the Impressionists. There she befriended artist Berthe Morisot. If you have the opportunity, be sure to see Cassatt’s work in a museum. Her scenes of domestic life are quite special.
France, 1839–1906
The Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne served as a bridge between Impressionism and nacent modern art movements, most notibly the Cubists, but also Matisse. While the A.I. captures key elements of his style—the color palette and blocky application of paint—the artist’s nuanced use of the latter to build complex fields that imply the existence and volume of its subjects is missing. Nonetheless, all rather charming.
France, 1796–1875
France, 1819–1877
It’s interesting to see a bit of the artist own mane from L’homme à la pipe (Self-portrait, Man with a pipe), 1848–49, in the last image of the group. Less dog in the style of Courbet and more Courbet as a dog.
France, 1748–1825
Dogs of the French revolution. These four look on at the sharp cut of the guillotine and the Terror. Viva la France! The neoclassical style of David (and also Meyer below) made for some great upscales we may share soon.
France, 1798–1863
We’re not convinced that this sample does Delacroix justice. You can’t win them all. Is this the painter of Medea about to Kill Her Children (1938) or The Combat of the Giaour and Hassan (1826)? Probably not.
France, 1834–1917
These are the images that first planted the idea for this article. The young dog in a tutu is a classic. I’m also buying the color, line and brush of Degas in these.
Germany, 1774–1840
The works of German Romantic painter Friedrich have a very characteristic appearance. These capture some of that, including the common placement of steeples and towns in the far background. We will have to track down the visual reference in Friedrich’s work for the white, “ghost dog,” that appeared in several runs.
France, 1848–1903
Color pallette—check. Large blocks of color—check. Dog with a moustache—check (although Gauguin’s was a sharp downward V).
United States, 1836–1910
I imagine the last one to be titled Mr. Dog Passing by the Window in His New Horseless Carriage.
France, 1780–1967
Not Grande Odalisque (1814) which a bit disappointing, but we feel the A.I. perhaps didn’t have enough examples to work from in this case.
Austria-Hungary, 1775–1821
One of the early successes of this experiment I think. Klimt’s particularly decorative and highly two dimensional style may be an easy one for the A.I. to manage. We’ll do another post on the “100 Dogs of Gustav Klimt” very soon.
France, 1775–1821
Constance was a wonderful if relatively obsure painter in her time. Favorite pupil, colleague (and likely more) to the artist Pierre-Paul Prud’hon, she took her own life after the death of Prud’hon’s wife. Likely having expected she would marry Pierre-Paul after caring for and raising his children. You should have a closer look at her work.
Although the A.I. fundamental failed to discover the number of legs on the average dog, the first image does seem to be a faithful companion to the painter of The Gleaners (1857).
France, 1840–1926
One might say Impressionism is a low bar for the A.I.’s machinations. Interestingly, these dogs are outdoors which is not exactly common for this group.
France, 1841–1895
One of the three “grandes dames” of Impressionism, Morisot’s actual work is much better than this simple effort, but the palette here is rather charming.
United States, 1874–1961
Unfortunately, these violet colored dogs only serve to let us know the machine had not probably heard of Violet Oakley. Perhaps it is just emulating another Oakley … in the color violet.
France, 1785–1851
We found these so very charming. One fellow has two noses, “the better to sniff you with my dear.” The character of Pissarro is here.
The color and loose brushwork of Renoir. Hats and more hats. The A.I. paints hats as often as Renoir painted bathers.
Visually, he is known for painting in the Impressionist style using a finer, denser brush stoke that most of his peers. Sort of a mid-point between the bulk of the Impressionists and George Seurat. Sadly, Sisley had the distinction of both living in poverty for a significant portion of his life and having a large number of his extant works looted by Nazis during the Second World War.
France, 1859–1891
Post-Impressionist. Pointillism. The whole is not the sum of the dots ….
France, 1864–1901
This thread is well worth exploring further. Again another case where an artist known for working on posters and printed illustrations, with a distinctive style, feeds the A.I. what it needs to
England, 1775–1851
The English Romantic painter was quite the force, particular in his painting of landscapes, storms and fire. We receive just a hit of that here, but certainly some of brushwork and color palette. It would be fun to pursue some A.I. paths that play more to Turner’s historical strengths.
France, 1853–1890
Outside of Mucha, probably the most often selected painter selected for A.I style mashups. This is the price of fame. Everyone here has their ears intact at least.
United States, 1834–1903
You made it this far?
Thanks! For your trouble here are some of the upscales we made.
Should we do this again for 20th Century Artists? Maybe not just painters?
Do you recognize this artist?
