Design Happens

Did you ever go to a theme park or a boardwalk and pose with your family for one of those old-timey photos? You know what I’m talking about, right? You dress up as cowboys and saloon gals or gangsters and flappers and you get a sepia-toned print of the photo? Well, 18th.me has elevated this kind of thing to an art. Now, instead of being cowboys and saloon gals, you can be the Mona Lisa or Napoleon Bonaparte! And it’s not just photo magic — we’re talking hilarious hand-painted portraits here. You select a famous work from their gallery, send in a photo of yourself similar to the pose in the original and 18th.me artists hand-paint your portrait and mail it to your door.

They’re kitschy, but that’s what makes them fun. I could envision these cheeky paintings over the stairs, in a small powder room, or in a game room. As the site states, they’re great conversation pieces. Or a seriously impressive gag gifts! As someone who spends the entire day on the Internet, I can tell you that there are tons of people who’ve Photoshopped themselves into these works of art, but I can’t think of any who’ve taken it to the next level like this. (And if you follow memes like I do, you will recognize the Ducreux self-portraits from their use with archaic rap lyrics.) Personally, I’d go for the Marie Antoinette, though I’d probably look more at home in American Gothic.