Imitation
| Tropes and genres | |
|---|---|
| Synonym(s) | based on a painting |
| Related tropes/genres | Fusion, Pastiche, Photo Reference, Reel |
| See also | Fanart, List of Fanart Genres |
| Related articles on Fanlore. | |
Some fanart intentionally references the style or content of a well known work of art. Popular paintings that inspire fanart include Gustav Klimt's The Kiss, Alexandre Cabanel's Fallen Angel, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's In Bed the Kiss. Commercial art such as film posters and album covers can also inspire fanart.
Many fanartists create pieces based on a painting not only to showcase their love for a character or story, but also to hone their technical skills and to practice different art styles.
In Harry Potter fandom this fanart genre was sometimes called imitation, though the nonfannish term for this type of art is pastiche. See Harry Potter examples: HP Fringeart and their gallery of 2006 Imitation challenge.
Examples of Classic Painters/Paintings
Michaelangelo: Creation of Adam
The Creation of Spock from Enterprise Incidents (US) #7 (originally in Federation Graffiti (1976) in perhaps a slightly different form), artist is Pat Molnar: Michelangelo's 'The Creation of Adam', illustrating Sarek and Amanda (God) reaching out and touching the finger of Spock (Adam) to give him the gift of life. (1979)
Audrey Beardsley
from Horizontal Mosaic #2, Audrey Weirdsley ("How Avon found Vila asleep on the flight deck (as Vila planned)." - How King Marke Found Sir Tristram) (Blake's 7)
from Horizontal Mosaic #2, Audrey Weirdsley ("Ambassadors of Love" - The Lacedaemonian Ambassadors) (Blake's 7)
Leonardo da Vinci
Fanart based on works by Leonardo da Vinci, most commonly the Mona Lisa.
"Mona Snape" by Perselus, from a 2006 HP Fringeart Challenge
inside art from Purple & Orange? #20, a Battlestar Galactica zine, artist is Karen River, art referenced is the "Mona Lisa"
con program book cover for IDICon, artist unknown -- the inspiration is The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci
Mona Leia by Rhydderch Wilson, featured on the back of Snowfire #2
The Birth of Venus
Fanart based on the painting The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli.
"Birth of Venus remix" by Leela Starsky, from a 2006 HP Fringeart Challenge (Harry Potter)
by Tanya Rizutti: "Venus of the Dune Sea" -- from I Don't Care What You Smell #3 (1997) (Star Wars)
inside B & B Lite, artist is Nancy Stasulis, "Botticelli's Birth of Vincent" (Beauty and the Beast (TV))
Uhura, art by Merrie K from Spectrum #28 (Star Trek: TOS)
"The Botticelli Spock," Helen McCarthy, from Grope Flashback (Star Trek: TOS)
The Kiss
Fanart based on the painting The Kiss by Gustav Klimt. See The Kiss (Klimt painting) for further fanart examples.
cover of Interphase #4 by Gayle F. Two Vulcan characters pose like the figures in Klimt's The Kiss.
cover of The Perfect Couple, artist is Suzan Lovett, fandom is Starsky & Hutch, 2010
from Spiced Peaches #21, Spock and McCoy, "The Kiss" by Tarantel, transforms The Kiss, by Klimt
by Red_Magicmarker, from a 2006 HP Fringeart Challenge, Ginny and Harry from Harry Potter
00Q unnamed art by a-bloody-big-ship (2012)
Untitled piece by Huang Danlan, Wanda and Peter Maxioff (MCU), 2015
Kiss on Ice by missypena (Yuri on Ice), 2017
The Kiss by AWretchedThing, (Encanto), 2022
Rokeby Venus
Rokeby Venus from Grope Flashback, Helen McCarthy
Salvador Dalí
Fanart based on works by Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dalí.
Art by Karen River in Rerun #4, imitating Dalí's The Persistence of Memory
Olympia
Fanart based on the painting Olympia by Édouard Manet.
"Amok", a reworking of "Olympia" by Princess of Swords
American Gothic
Fanart based on the painting American Gothic by Grant Wood.
by Mary Ann Emerson portrays Zephrem Cochrane and The Companion in Star Trek: TOS, from R & R #2 (1976)
cover art by Anja Gruber for a Professionals zine (1995)
portrays zine ed Judith Yuenger (with the pitchfork) and possibly Nancy Stasulis (with the glasses) on the back cover of I Don't Care What You Smell #10, artist is Nancy Stasulis (2005)
Henri Rousseau
Fanart based on works by French painter Henri Rousseau.
from Alpha Continuum #3 (1981), the artist is Marty Siegrist, see The Sleeping Gypsy by Henri Rousseau
Leyendecker
Fanart based on works by German-American illustrator J. C. Leyendecker.
Spock(from Star Trek) - a Leyendecker Study by WhatsSheCalled, 2020
Maxfield Parrish
Fanart based on works by American painter Maxfield Parrish.
front cover of Nome #7, the artist is The Southern Cross, Kirk as viewed through a Maxfield Parrish lens: See his 1926 painting "Stars"
wraparound front cover of From a Certain Point of View #2, artist is by Carolyn Cooper -- it was inspired by the artist Maxfield Parrish, possibly Daybreak
Norman Rockwell
Fanart based on works by American painter Norman Rockwell.
cover by Karen River of Rerun #3, Norman Rockwell's "Freedom from Want" with a variety of television characters
Examples based on sculptors/sculptures
The Pieta
The Pietà is an image of Mary cradling Jesus common in Christian art. Most fanart based on this subject is inspired by Michelangelo's Pietà.
Spock and Kirk: "The Pieta" by Wendy Pearson in Starbase M.T.L. #6
Kirk and Spock: "Pieta" by Shelley Butler on the back cover of First Time #46 -- see that page for more
Art by badbastion created for the fic Beneath Every Layer of Skin, as part of the Wincestiel Big Bang (2012)
Captain America - Civil War by maXKennedy (2015)
Venus de Milo
Fanart based on the ancient Greek sculpture the Venus de Milo.
"Spock de Milo" from Grope #1, Helen McCarthy
Rodin
Fanart based on works by French sculptor Auguste Rodin.
cover art from First Time #40. Spock and Kirk are drawn posing as sculptures by Auguste Rodin.
Spock as Rodin's The Thinker from Tal-Shaya #3, the artist is Cheree Cargill
cover of Classified Affairs #8 by Suzan Lovett, Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin pose like the figures of Rodin's The Kiss.
Other Examples
The Great Wave off Kanagawa
Fanart based on the woodblock print The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai.
the cover of Alnitah #7 by Maggi Draper uses "Great Wave at Kanagawa" as inspiration
Imitating other (more recent) artists
- Aziraphale and Crowley (Good Omens) based on Sergio Cupido's Romeo and Juliet (Romeo and Juliet
"Modern" art
Movie Posters
art by The Southern Cross for the back cover of the Star Trek: TOS zine First Time #14, see that page for more
Album Art
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Fanart based on the cover art for The Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Cover of a Blake's 7 gen zine, based on the album cover for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
front cover of The Clipper Trade Ship #12, another example of a riff on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, artist is John P. Rielander
Simon & Garfunkel
Fanart based on the cover art for albums by Simon & Garfunkel.
art by Lisa Hamner, the inspiration is the album Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel, from the Spock/McCoy zine Spiced Peaches #19, 2009
sample art from Spiced Peaches #19, "Bookends" -- Ellen Smock imagines the "Simon and Garfunkel" LP cover of the same name
art by Ellen Smock, riffs on Sounds of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel, from the Spock/McCoy zine Spiced Peaches #19, 2009
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