Presenter Gok and The Birth of Venus
In April the production company behind the program How to Look Good Naked approached The Bridgeman Art Library about using our images for an animated sequence to advertise their style and beauty tips show on Channel 4. As you can see, the results are hilarious and show how iconic images can be manipulated to have resonance with popular culture in the 21st century
Lady Godiva and Gok
Lady Godiva, c.1898 by John Collier
For the title sequence, Lady Godiva is seen having her hair brushed, a reclining nude is given a spray tan and curvy Rubens ladies are decked out in lacy underwear!
Producer Liz Arnott admits that the ABC TV series Desperate Housewives opening sequence was used as a style reference where art history images illustrates the extremes of anxiety that wives have been driven to by their husbands. Monty Python?s Flying Circus is another reference where images are manipulated to comic effect. In the case of Desperate Housewives, the sequence provoked national interest from art historians and in many instances, to the surprise of some, they responded appreciatively to it:
"Anything that brings people in to look at and engage with art is great," says Dr Caroline Campbell, a curator at the Courtauld Institute and leading authority on Cranach.
Please email annabel.ocf@bridgemanart.co.uk if you would like to view the full title sequence. You will need quicktime to view it.