Culture  /  Art History

Photographer Uses AI to Imagine What Historical Icons Would Look Like Today

Some of the stars depicted in Yesiltas’ portraits are instantly recognizable as modern-day sirens, while others are less obvious at first glance.

For the project, Yesiltas used AI photo enhancer software and photo editing programs to imagine what historical icons would look like if they lived in the 21st century instead of their own time.

Yesiltas used the original photos of these individuals to create modern-day portraits. With the help of AI, he reconstructs their outfits and the composition of the photo before editing the image to transform these historical legends into modernized icons.

Fifteenth-century Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus is reimagined as a contemporary male in a white t-shirt.

Meanwhile, the Founding Father of the U.S. Benjamin Franklin is depicted as a modern-day politician in a smart black suit with an American flag brooch.

New York Yankees Legend Babe Ruth is pictured in a casual sweatshirt rather than 1930s baseball attire.

Meanwhile, American Gangster Al Capone no longer wears his famous pinstriped suit. Instead, the mobster, who gained notoriety during the Prohibition era, is portrayed in chinos and a jumper.

Some of the stars depicted in Yesiltas’ portraits are instantly recognizable as modern-day sirens, while others are less obvious at first glance.