Nerdy photo series turns superheroes into 16th century works of art

 By 
Andrea Romano
 on 
Nerdy photo series turns superheroes into 16th century works of art
Credit: Sacha Goldberger

Admit it: Batman and Darth Vader would have made art history class so much cooler.

French photographer Sacha Goldberger's photography series Super Flamands -- which translates as Super Flemish -- reimagines superheroes and sci-fi icons posing as 16th century Flemish paintings.

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With their ruffled collars and puffy skirts, characters like Darth Vader, Captain America and Wonder Woman transform into noblemen and women from the Renaissance. "What if the Hulk was a Duke? How might Van Eyck have portrayed Snow White?" Goldberger asks in his book.

A lifelong lover of comic book and pop culture characters, Goldberger especially wanted to pay tribute to the heroes like Superman and Batman who had to hide behind their secret identities. He used a team of five costume designers, seven makeup artists, five hair dressers and more than 60 actors to model for his photographs.

Digital imaging was used in the editing process by artists Pierrick Guenneugues and Sebastien Maillard, but each portrait is the product of countless hours of real, live makeup and prosthetics.

If Star Wars existed centuries ago, Queen Elizabeth I probably would have been a fan.

More of Goldberger's super nerdy portraits can be seen on his Facebook page or on his website.

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BONUS: 5 Facts About Batman (with Adam West)

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