There are two types of people in the world; those who find museums fascinating and those who would rather be somewhere else. For Stefan Draschan, a France-based professional photographer, he saw the opportunity to create some renewed interest in some of the famous installations found at art galleries.
Draschan combined his photography skills with patience to come up with an interesting project. He traversed the museums in Berlin, Paris, and Vienna patiently waiting for visitors who coincidentally matched the classical art pieces on display. Draschan photographed such moments, and the result is the unique, breathtaking, and humorous pictures on this list.
A Stroke Of Genius
Draschan developed an interest in photography around 2013, just when he had quit smoking. He shaped his skills over the years, and in 2015, Draschan had the idea of embarking on the project aptly dubbed People Matching Artworks. As implied, Draschan started stalking museums mostly in Paris, Berlin, and his native homeland, Vienna, waiting to strike gold.
In his case, it meant patiently waiting around for a moment when visitors frequenting these museums matched the artwork through the color or pattern of their outfits. This woman in a gorgeous blue frock is the perfect example of what Draschan set out to do. It’s even more symbolic that she’s taking a photo of the artwork she matches!
Counting On The Stars
Draschan has been accused of staging the photos, but he explained that they are just perfectly timed. Sometimes he spotted a visitor who matched a particular art installation, and he just had to count on the stars that they would end up in front of the artwork.
We imagine that’s what he went through to snap this spectacular photo of a young girl. Her braids match the picture frame as well as the beams of light reflected on the water. Her blue attire mirrors the same shade of blues used in the painting.
The Nativity Scene
Being a street photographer, Draschan explains that he is drawn by the person first when framing his photos. That’s how he ends up picking his subjects: he chooses the person first, and the artwork is secondary.
This lady matches the painting of the nativity scene, and Draschan must have been drawn to the way she color-coordinated her outfit. Her hair matches the frame while her outfit seems like a modernized version of what the Virgin Mary is wearing in the picture.
Walked Right Out Of The Painting
Draschan tried to cheat the process initially by dressing up as the subjects in pieces of art and posing for photos. After two attempts, he figured that the result wasn’t as satisfactory as capturing the photos authentically.
Take this perfectly timed photo, for instance: we doubt Draschan would have achieved the same result posing for the picture. Besides the gentleman looking like he walked right out of the painting, it’s ironic that a joint in the baseboard below the artwork mirrors the walking stick.
Double Coincidence
The accidental matches are actually what Draschan finds thrilling. Draschan has another series called Cars Matching Homes, and he uses the same approach to create his works of photographic art.
There’s no way you could stage this and get the same level of authenticity that this photo portrays. The man on the left matches the picture he is fixated on while the lady to the right embodies the aesthetics of the painting she is keenly studying.
The Eerie Convention
Double, double, toil, and trouble, are some of the words we imagine this group of people is chanting. There might be a good reason why they are hurdling around the spooky piece, but the photo makes it look like they escaped from the painting.
We are also curious about how they all ended up wearing black outfits, and their silver hair only makes it eerier. Draschan gets major credits for spotting the artistic moment and capturing it in a photo.
Mirror Mirror On The Wall
This photo had our hearts skipping a beat because, for a moment, it looks like the lady is staring at her own reflection. The painting has a dark theme, and the dark frame makes it look like a mirror.
The lady’s locks are colored a golden hue that matches the crown in the painting. She also chose an all-black ensemble for the day, which gives this photo a dark feel, just like in the painting.
Yodel-lay-hee-hoo
We have all looked at photos and wished that we were at an idyllic location. In this case, the man’s suspenders bring everything full circle. The way he is scrutinizing the painting makes it seems like it’s the place he longs to be.
Maybe he has memories of living high on a hill when his days were spent herding goats. Who knows, perhaps some yodeling was involved to pass the time, and he might have even known someone called Heidi!
Unique Design
Incredibly, Draschan says that the photos that he had attempted to stage ended up being more work than the ones he takes authentically. Once he started rolling out the photos, one thing every agreed with is the fact that it gives us a whole new way of enjoying museums.
When at a museum and you find your mind wandering, why not try and look for someone who matches a piece of art? This photo is unique because the lady’s top has an eye-catching design that mirrors the design in the painting.
Cool Blues
When people say that they want to be living art pieces through the clothes that they wear, they must be referring to this lady right here. Her shirt is lovely, and it seems to blend in well with the painting she is studying.
The cool blue colors are what makes both the painting and the photo striking. However, we can’t decide if we like the calming painting more or the dramatic graphics on the lady’s shirt.
Progression of Time
This woman could easily fit right into a runway showcase. She struck a runway-ready pose right in front of a photo that is so similar to her, and Draschan was there to snap the moment.
The woman’s orange outfit matches the one the lady in the painting is wearing. Her silver mane is also reminiscent of the veil the lady in the painting wears. The photo subtly tells the story of time progression by showing us the contrast between the past and now.
Bulls Eye
To start with, we all know the signature grandpa shirt, and if you don’t, you are looking right at it. There is something about plaid shirts that old folks just love, and this painting seems like an ode to their style preference.
The man is staring right at the colorful bull’s eye painting with a rainbow of colors that match his plaid shirt. We are more intrigued about the thoughts that could be running through his mind while he was studying the painting.
Golden Hour
The painting captures the silhouette of rolling hills in the twilight hours. The golden frame blends well with the tone of the sky, and it’s just an overall pleasing painting to look at.
That seems to be the reason why this lady wearing a metallic golden sweater is drawn to the painting. The moment she stepped in front of the painting created a magical moment, and thankfully, Draschan was larking around and took this photo.
A Collision of Patterns
Rugs aren’t necessarily designed to go on the floor and most typically work well as wall embellishments, too. Some have rich histories dating centuries back, and it’s the reason why you might spot them at a museum.
This lady is admiring one such rug that coincidentally has a similar pattern and color as her shirt. It almost looks like she made away with the missing bits of the carpet and used them to tailor her shirt!
A Floral Explosion
We imagine that the subjects of Draschan’s photos felt drawn to the paintings they matched for some reason. Maybe it wasn’t apparent to them immediately, but we also wonder if they eventually figured out that they matched the paintings.
This woman is wearing a floral print dress in a motif that matches the flowers in the painting. Perhaps given the chance, she would take the painting home because it is an extension of her sense of style.
Perfect Camouflage
When you first look at this photo, you might feel like your vision is a bit blurry. A couple of glances later, and we can agree that the way the different tones of blue creating the artwork is quite beautiful.
Then we notice the woman observing the rug, and her shirt melds with the pattern of the carpet. Perhaps there is a rug factory somewhere right next to a clothing factory where these pieces originate.
The Puffy Affair
This couple is also an excellent example of people who had no idea that they were about to be living works of art. They walked right up to this painting, and as they keenly observed it, they lined up perfectly to give Draschan his money shot.
The woman’s puffy coat in silver compliments the puffy silver frock the lady in the painting is wearing. The man’s jacket, on the other hand, matches the gentleman’s black cape in the painting.
The Sixth Guest
This woman must now realize where her style inspiration must have come from, and it seems like it is from the 1800s! She looks like she is wearing a modernized version of the outfits the gentlemen are wearing in the painting.
We are not sure if ladies were welcomed at such gatherings, but through Draschan’s photo, the exception is allowed. It also leaves us wondering if they are looking at her while she stares at them.
The Climb
Artists and designers are always inspired by the things they see around them. This photo captures an outfit that seems to have been inspired by an architectural structure. The building might have also borrowed inspiration from the iconic zebra crossing.
Draschan once again snapped this photo at the right time, creating an impressive optical illusion. The subject is entranced by the photo and seems to be figuring out whether or not to go up or down.
Like Attracts Like
Erich Heckel as renowned German printmaker and painter. He was one of the founding members of Die Brücke (The Bridge), which was a collective of expressionist artists. Heckel also created works of arts, including the one above painted in 1918 dubbed “Spring.”
They say that like attracts like, much like the painting and this woman who is wearing a sweater that matches the colors of spring. She couldn’t resist taking a closer look at the painting, perhaps not realizing the similarities!
When Two Become One
Sometimes you’ll look at a painting or photo and feel like something is missing. Separate this painting and the image of this woman, and that would be what we feel about the two pieces of art.
The woman is in every sense part of the painting, as depicted by Draschan’s photo. Her cherry-colored hair combined with her gray/blue-colored outfit matches perfectly. We believe that the lady finally found a painting that perfectly mirrors her aesthetic.
This Looks Familiar
This lady also seems to feel a sense of connection to this rug. Knowing that women, in general, are very attentive to details, she must have noticed the familiar pattern. That’s what must have drawn her in, and she started noticing more similarities.
The colors are nearly the same, and you would think that her outfit is an extension of the rug. It just might be another case of different types of functional items borrowing inspiration from the same aesthetics.
Stepped Out Of The Canvas
First things first, this abstract painting is simply beautiful and multi-dimensional. We understand that everyone interprets art in their own way, and while the painting might come off a little busy to some, it works.
Add the woman admiring the painting, and it suddenly comes to life. The green, black, and white wavy lines on her shirt blend in with the color palette used for the painting. The photo makes it look like she is one with the art.
Staring In The Mirror
Just by looking at the way this woman has her head slightly bent to the side tells us that she is gobsmacked by the painting. Her scarf matches the color of the sofa in the painting, and her outfit resembles the ensemble the woman in the painting is wearing.
That is what we think made her observe the painting with such intensity. She must have felt that she is staring into the mirror because the lady in the painting looks like her!
Journey To The Past
This photo gives us a sense of poetic artistry. We are looking at a woman wearing a gorgeous black and white shirt who is also keenly studying a painting of a woman in a similar outfit.
The lady must have been hit by a sense of déjà vu when she came across the painting depicting a past version of herself, that she had to take a seat and study it more. Even the hat is another similar aspect the woman shares with the painting.
The Angelic Salute
This man must be extremely fashion-conscious because he is wearing a bold jacket rather well. It might seem a bit busy for some people, but it works, and the man stumbled upon a painting that essentially gave his style choice an angelic salute.
The colors or the painting seem to have been splashed all over his jacket. The way the man leans in to look at the painting gives him a set of horns as well as a halo over his head!
Shades Of Blue
The painting above is dubbed “Mary With the Child.” It’s one of the most famous artworks depicting the veneration of the Virgin Mary by St. Luke and St. Marc. It’s a painting by Jacopo Tintoretto whose paintings were described as narratives on canvas.
This man is draped in a pashmina that eerily resembles the gown that the Virgin Mary is wearing in the painting. The painting also features several shades of blue, just like the man’s outfit.
A Leafy Coincidence
This piece of art features a harmonious blend of greens, blues, yellow, and tan hues. The result is a simple yet beautiful painting, and we understand why this lady can’t help taking it all in.
For the rest of us who are also looking at the lady as the subject of this photo, we can’t help noticing her ombre hairdo. The striking blue/green colors decorating the lengths of her locks perfectly match the leaves in the painting.
Balanced Hues
It’s almost difficult to imagine that this woman who just happened to be wearing a white and red coat sauntered her way to this art installation. What is even more striking is the fact that the colors are the same shade.
The colors are also balanced perfectly, and it’s even more appealing the way it all seems organic. Draschan caught the lady when she was preoccupied with fishing something out of her purse, which only makes the photo as authentic as they come.
The Judgemental Statue
We imagine the process that Draschan went through to snap this photo. He must have spotted this silver-haired man and followed him around the museum. It all paid off because the man landed next to this statue.
The man’s silver hair and cardigan match the hue of the seemingly judgmental statue. It’s hilarious how the statue looks like it is staring down at the man. It seems to be deep in thought, trying to make sense of the man.