Detail of William Bouguereau by Tonebarge on Worth1000. Click for bigger (1,023px × 692px)

What would William Bouguereau have looked like if he lived in our days? The answer could be as shown above. This portrait of a 21st century Bouguereau was created by digital artist Tonebarge for the fifth edition of the Pygmalion contest on Worth1000, in 2005. Contestants were challenged to “Photoshop a character from a famous painting or statue doing everyday things in a modern setting“.

The contest drew 61 entries, eight of which were Remastered Bouguereaus, four of which were top-scorers. The portrait of William Bouguereau was the bronze winner, and was inspired by Bouguereau’s 1979 self-portrait. Below you can compare the original painting with the contemporary version. Click the first to visit the gallery where you will find several more modernized portraits, including ones that feature Fidel Castro, Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins and Tom Cruise. Click the second to view Tonebarge’s version on Worth1000.