Oscar Wilde once said that life imitates art more than art imitates life.
That maxim was proved just days ago when a reveller’s photo of a woman eating in a London branch of Gail’s bakery went viral for its striking resemblance to Edward Hopper’s 1942 painting Nighthawks.
But that instance is far from the first time where life really has imitated art.
Who can forget New Year’s Eve in 2016, when a photo of drunken carnage on the streets of Manchester spawned countless memes.
Fans could not help but notice the scene’s resemblance to Michelangelo’s 1512 masterpiece The Creation of Adam.
And as we reveal below, there have been many other examples of real life echoing works of art.
The woman in Gail’s who echoed a masterpiece
This image of a woman sitting in Gail’s in Greenwich, South London, has drawn comparisons to one of the world’s most famous paintings – Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks
Nighthawks was painted by American realism painter Edward Hopper in 1942 and depicts four figures inside a late night diner
This month’s image of the woman eating in Gail’s was taken by iPhone user Richard Walls, who then shared the photo on social media.
‘As a fan of Edward Hopper I couldn’t help but take this photo in Greenwich tonight,’ Mr Walls wrote on X.
He took the snap as he killed time in Greenwich, south London, ahead of a Katy Perry concert at The O2.
Mr Walls said: ‘The only thing I had was my iPhone, I didn’t have any camera equipment.
‘There is something compelling about just a single person framed in that sort of building.
‘If I had gone a little to the left or right you would have seen other people or staff.’
Hopper was one of America’s most highly regarded artists and a leading painter in the American Realism movement.
THAT New Year’s Eve Photo of drunken debauchery
Who can forget New Year’s Eve in 2016, when a photo of drunken carnage on the streets of Manchester spawned countless memes
Some might argue that nothing sums up modern Britain better than this photo, which was taken by freelance news photographer Joel Goodman.
It’s got women in faux fur coats, a smattering of taxis and police arresting someone.
But the star of the show is the man splayed out on the road with his belly exposed and his hand clamped around a half-drunk bottle of beer.
Behind them all are people watching the carnage while standing in front of branches of bakery Gregg’s and fashion chain Superdry.
When it was posted online, users on X – then known as Twitter – quickly likened it to a Renaissance masterpiece.
And the suggestion it ‘looks like a beautiful painting’ prompted dozens of users to create a series of spoof version of the scene and its ‘characters’.
Fans could not help but notice the scene’s resemblance to Michelangelo’s 1512 masterpiece The Creation of Adam
Winston Churchill ‘spotted’ in a pub
In 2017, a pub goer could not help noticing that a man sitting opposite him bore a striking resemblance to hero wartime prime minister Winston Churchill.
Roy Thomas took a photo while holding up a £5 note to point out the remarkable similarity.
Posting the image on social media, he joked that it was ‘not every day you meet the man off the fivers’.
In 2017, a pub goer could not help noticing that a man sitting opposite him bore a striking resemblance to hero wartime prime minister Winston Churchill
The fox that saw the resemblance in street art
In 2022, this fox was photographed staring at a street art version of its species.
The scene was captured on by snapper Martin West on a street in North London.
He said: ‘I often saw this street art on a wall in North London and at a quick glance, had mistaken it for a real fox.
‘One evening over this last weekend I was walking by and saw a couple of foxes playing nearby. I took my camera out and waited a little while.
‘Eventually, one of the foxes came over to street art and looked up. It looked like it was admiring the street art.
‘I was really happy to get the shot, it felt like a once in a lifetime!’
The wild-eyed animal’s pupils dilate to the size of footballs as he stares into the gaze of his spray painted friend
The badminton player who echoed The Scream
Edvard Munch’s The Scream is one of the most iconic – and chilling – paintings of all time.
Earlier this year, Danish badminton player Anders Antonsen accidentally echoed the pose of the distressed figure conjured by Munch.
At the Hong Kong Open in May, the player – who is ranked number two in the world in his sport – was pictured looking shocked as he clasped his hands to his face during a match.
Edvard Munch’s The Scream is one of the most iconic – and chilling – paintings of all time. Earlier this year, Danish badminton player Anders Antonsen accidentally echoed the pose of the distressed figure conjured by Munch
The sleeping man compared to the cover of Radiohead’s The Bends
The iconic cover of The Bends – the second album by British band Radiohead – was created by photographing a CPR mannequin in hospital.
Unfortunately for this man who had fallen asleep on public transport, a Radiohead fan could not help but notice his resemblance to the figure in the album artwork.
The traveller was snapped snoozing as the iPhone user sat opposite with the image on his screen.
Unfortunately for this man who had fallen asleep on public transport, a Radiohead fan could not help but notice his resemblance to the figure on the cover of the band’s second album The Bends
When you compare yourself to a painting in the Louvre
This woman could not help but smile when she saw herself in a painting by Spanish artist Francisco de Goya during a visit to the Louvre in Paris.
The 1806 work, titled Portrait of a Lady with a Fan, shows the subject sitting in a dress with her accessory in her hand.
The strikingly similar visitor to the Louvre was pictured standing in front of the work.
This woman could not help but smile when she saw herself in a painting by Spanish artist Francisco de Goya during a visit to the Louvre in Paris
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