10 Classic Paintings That May Have Inspired Kanye West's Yeezus Tour Stage Design

He did call himself Michelangelo, after all.

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Complex Original

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Last week, Kanye West's 2014 Yeezus Tour kicked off at Penn State University's Bryce Jordan Center. Fans who missed out last year now have another chance to watch Yeezy perform hits from his decade-long career against an epic backdrop with a massive mountain, an installation of women, and even an actor dressed as Jesus. Over the course of ten years, the world has seen a wide range of stunning visuals in Kanye West's live performances, and while each one has been unique in its own way, Yeezus has the most groundbreaking and elaborate stage design so far.

Towards the end of Kanye's 2013 Yeezus Tour, we noticed some parallels between the rapper's stage design and filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain, which 'Ye himself talked about in his "visionary stream of consciousness" at Barclays Center.

For someone who constantly likens himself to great artists like Michelangelo, Kanye may actually be creating designs in line with the greats. We took a stab at comparing his stage design to paintings like Caspar David Friedrich's Chalk Cliffs on Rügen or René Magritte's The Lovers. Here are 10 Classic Paintings That May Have Inspired Kanye West's Yeezus Tour Stage Design.

RELATED: Kanye's Holy Mountain: The Influence of Alejandro Jodorowsky on the Yeezus Tour
RELATED: The Design Evolution of Kanye West's Live Performances
RELATED: The Design Evolution of Kanye West's Album Artwork

Chalk Cliffs on Rügen by Caspar David Friedrich, 1818

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The Turkish Bath by Jean-Auguste-Dominique, 1862

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The Lovers by René Magritte, 1928

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The Ascension of Christ by Rembrandt, 1636

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Saturn Devouring His Son by Francisco Goya, c. 1819–1823

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Deposition of Christ by Agnolo di Cosimo (Bronzino), 1540-1545

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The Angelic Announcement to the Shepherds by Taddeo Gaddi, 1332-38

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Dance (I) by Henri Matisse, 1909

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The Procession of the Holy Shroud by Alessandro Magnasco

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The Three Angels Appearing to Abraham by Giovanni Battista, 1726-29

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