Classic Paintings are Perfectly Paired with Hip Hop Lyrics
Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci (c.1503) / Super Bass, Nicki Minaj
Since December 2013, artists Gisella Velasco and Toni Potenciano have been pairing classic paintings by renowned painters like Leonardo da Vinci, Matisse, and Dali with hip hop lyrics performed by contemporary musicians including Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, and Beyonce, amongst many others. The result is surprisingly complementary. Follow the ongoing project’s Tumblr called Fly Art for more flawless fine art and hip hop pairings.
The Birth of Venus (1486), Sandro Botticelli / ***Flawless, Beyonce ft. Chimamanda Ngozie Adiche
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Luncheon of the Boating Party (1881) / Super Rich Kids, Frank Ocean
Dancers practicing at the barre (1877), Edgar Degas / Fergalicious, Fergie feat. Will.i.am
A Lady Writing a Letter, with her Maid (c.1670), Johannes Vermeer / Otis, Jay-Z, Kanye West feat. Otis Redding
The first coat (1892), Vladimir Makovsky / American Boy, Estelle feat. Kanye West
The Family of Henry VIII (c. 1572), Lucas de Heere / Big Poppa, The Notorious B.I.G.
Noli Me Tangere (1442), Fra Angelico / U Can’t Touch This, MC Hammer
Phaedra, Alexandre Cabanel (1880) / Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe, Kendrick Lamar
The Persistence of Memory (1931), Salvador Dali / Ms. Jackson, Outkast
The Ascension (1775), John Singleton Copley / Touch The Sky, Kanye West ft. Lupe Fiasco
Antoine-François Callet, King Louis XVI (1754-1793) / C.R.E.A.M., Wu-Tang Clan
The Death of Marat, Jacques-Louis David (1793) / N.Y. State of Mind, NaS
Love’s Shadow (1887), Frederick Sandys / Ring the Alarm, Beyonce
Hell (1450), Dirk Bouts / Drop It Like It’s Hot, Snoop Dogg feat. Pharell Williams
Icarus and Daedalus (c. 1869), Frederic Leighton / Pretty Fly (For a White Guy), The Offspring
L’Absinthe (1876), Edgar Degas / Gin and Juice, Snoop Dogg
Louis XIV (1701), Hyacinthe Rigaud / Tom Ford, Jay-Z ft. Beyonce
Pelt Merchant of Cairo (1869), Jean-Leon Gerome / Cold.1, G.O.O.D. Music feat. Kanye West & DJ Khaled
La Coiffure (1901), Henri Matisse / Rocket, Beyonce
H/t: Beautiful Decay, Distractify
