Beethoven portrait brought into the modern day by digital artist

8 September 2020, 15:38 | Updated: 9 September 2020, 08:37

If Beethoven was born in the 20th century...

If you’ve ever wondered what Ludwig van Beethoven would look like if he lived a century or two later, wonder no more.

One digital artist has lifted the great German Romantic from his most famous oil-painted portrait and created a modern counterpart.

Using photo editing techniques layered with digital drawing, Becca Saladin produced this present-day depiction of Beethoven.

And he’s pretty suave...

Read more: So if Beethoven was completely deaf, how did he compose? >

Gone is the Romantic red cravat and loose, flowing collar. Instead, the composer sports a business-like pinstripe suit teamed with a crisp blue shirt.

Even his distinctively wavy locks have been digitally trimmed to a more contemporary crop. Suddenly, Ludwig is less composer-pianist and more hedge fund manager.

Speaking exclusively to Classic FM, Becca revealed the process behind the picture. “The modern-day Beethoven image is a composite of several images, with a layer of digital drawing on top,” she explained.

“I wanted the modern version to capture the austere mood of the original portrait.”