Halloween is right around the corner, party people! When it comes to costumes, are you one of those perfectionists who will settle for nothing short of a handmade masterpiece? If yes, this one’s for you. If you’re still searching for some Halloween “masterpiece” costume inspiration, why not just dress like an actual masterpiece? After the jump, you’ll find a smorgasbord of art costumes from the realms of surrealism, post-impressionism, symbolism, pop art, and more. Check ’em out, and hit the comments to add your artsy and/or spooky tips for those who might actually try to execute these suckers.
The Son of Man, René Magritte
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This one is pretty simple — print a blown-up version of The Son of Man, cut out the apple, and fasten it to your bowler hat. Will you be able to see? Probably not, but whatever.
Oh, Jeff…I Love You, Too…But…, Roy Lichtenstein
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A girl would have to do some strange things to her body to pull this one off, but it’s so worth it. She would also have to look distressed for the entirety of the evening, but like we said — it’s so worth it.
Flower Chucker, Banksy
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We’re mixing it up with a graffiti-inspired costume. This guy could easily spook some trick-or-treaters, eh? Click here for the Banksy enthusiast’s step-by-step costume prep.
Portrait de l’artiste, Vincent van Gogh
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It took us a minute to figure out what’s going on here, but this van Gogh wannabe painted and framed his background, then painted his clothes and face so that he appears to be two-dimensional. Easy enough?
Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, Gustav Klimt
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If you’re hosting a Halloween party, go ahead and hang a life-size Klimt background on your wall and dress as Adele Bloch-Bauer. When people ask who you are, just wander over to your Klimt corner and pose like the girl above. They’ll figure it out.
The Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci
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This method is a lot like the van Gogh self-portrait, but the girl opted out of painting her body and clothes. It works, if you ask us, but we’d still prefer the two-dimensional paint effect.
American Gothic, Grant Wood
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Couples’ costume alert! Grab your partner, a frame, a bald cap, and a pitchfork, and you’re ready to go. Or, to be more authentic, grab your dentist, because that’s apparently the relationship between the couple in American Gothic.
Girl With a Pearl Earring, Johannes Vermeer
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Here’s another one where the costumed will have to consistently pose throughout the evening. Just remember not to wear the other earring, ladies!
The Starry Night, Vincent van Gogh
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There’s an idea — instead of dressing like a character in a painting, just turn your wardrobe into a painting.
Fountain, Marcel Duchamp
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This incredible dress inspired by Duchamp’s famed urinal artwork is actually part of a collection by the London-based fashion label The Rodnik Band, but we imagine that you could approximate the look with some black ribbon, white felt, and a Sharpie.
Lobster Telephone, Salvador Dalí
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Buy a dress, some white felt, and a lobster stuffed animal, and voilà — you’re Dalí’s lobster telephone. If you’re adventurous, put on some headphones and be a Rock Lobster telephone. Get it? Get it?!
The Scream, Edvard Munch
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Take a break from this kind of overdone Scream costume and go back to basics — Edvard Munch’s The Scream.
Beast Jesus
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Last and probably least, we have the botched Jesus fresco that became an Internet sensation earlier this year. Get ready, because if you have friends in the art world, you’ll probably see a lot of these fellows on Halloween night.