What would the paintings of old masters like da Vinci and Botticelli look like if they were suddenly stripped of any people? How would the absence of figures transform not only the perspective in these famous works of art, but the stories that they tell? What architectural surprises would be found lurking in all of that empty space? Thanks to a conceptual project by Hungarian art student Bence Hajdu and spotted by Designboom, we can get a peek at these fascinating, people-free paintings, from an empty table version of The Last Supper to a new take on the Oath of the Horatii, minus the Horatii brothers. Our only request for Hadju? More please!
Abandoned version of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Image credit: Bence Hajdu
Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper, 1495-1498
Abandoned version of Jacques-Louis David’s Oath of the Horatii. Image credit: Bence Hajdu
Jacques-Louis David, Oath of the Horatii, 1784
Abandoned version of Claude Lorrain’s Seaport with the Embarkation of St. Ursula. Image credit: Bence Hajdu
Claude Lorrain, Seaport with the Embarkation of St. Ursula, 1641
Abandoned version of Sandro Botticelli’s Annunciation. Image credit: Bence Hajdu
Sandro Botticelli, The Annunciation, 1489-1490
Abandoned version of Andrea Mantegna’s Oculus in the Camera Degli Sposi. Image credit: Bence Hajdu
Andrea Mantegna, Oculus in the Camera Degli Sposi, 1465-1474
Abandoned version of Fra Angelico’s The Annunciation. Image credit: Bence Hajdu
Fra Angelico, The Annunciation, 1450