Listen by aards2, based on Bouguereau’s Le Coquillage (The Seashell, 1871). Click for full and bigger image.

Do ghosts exist? We’ll never know for sure, but that doesn’t stop digital artists to pretend they do. In February 2009, Worth1000 organized their fourth GhostRen contest, challenging photoshoppers to create a ghostly image in a classical work of art. Of the 40 contest entries no less than five were Remastered Bouguereaus. The undisputed winner was Listen by aards2, shown above.

Discover all five Bouguereau-inspired ghostly artworks below. Click each to visit the galleries where you can find many more contemporary versions of the original paintings.