People typically think of superheroes like Batman and Robin as belonging on the big screen or on the pages of a comic book. French photographer Sacha Goldberger, however, decided to think outside the box, asking questions such as "What if Superman was born in the 16th century? What if the Hulk was a Duke? How might Van Eyck have portrayed Snow White?"
His musings led him to create Super Flemish, a series of paintings that was shown earlier this month at School Gallery's Paris Photo booth. It hilariously depicts some of the most famous fictional heroes and villains from American pop culture as subjects of centuries-old Flemish paintings. Goldberger dressed his models up in their respective costumes, also incorporating aspects of 16th century attire.
It's as much a satirical project as it is a celebration of his childhood heroes, who are often depicted in fiction as "tired of having to save the world without respite, promised to a destiny of endless immortality, forever trapped in their character." In Goldberger's own words:
“The superheroes often live their lives cloaked in anonymity. These portraits give them a chance to ‘fix' their narcissism denied . . . these images allow us to discover, under the patina of time, an unexpected melancholy of those who are to be invincible."
Click through above to see some of Goldberger's remade characters, including the aforementioned Batman and Robin, the Joker, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, and Darth Vader.
[via ArtNet News]
