A-moo-sing art: Caroline Shotton

After tackling Frans Hals, Gustav Klimt and Johannes Vermeer for her cufflink collection, animal artist Caroline Shotton has transformed more classic artworks in her own humorous style. Here’s a brief history of each piece to get you in the moo-d.

Tretchikow

Caroline Shotton

Francis Beef

Caroline Shotton

Amoorican Gothic

This quirky piece is based on the classic ‘American Gothic’ painting by Grant Wood. The original was painted in 1930 after Grant noticed the Dibble House – a small white house built in the Carpenter Gothic architectural style – whilst driving in Iowa, America.

Caroline says: “Grant’s painting has a slightly dark feeling about it, so capturing the facial expressions without it looking miserable was quite tricky. I hope I’ve found the balance between recreating the original feel and adding a touch of humour.”

Tretchikow

Based one of the 20th century’s bestselling prints, this kitsch artwork humorously depicts ‘Chinese Girl’ by Vladimir Tretchikoff. Painted in 1952, the original became a worldwide sensation and adorned the homes of families across Britain after becoming available as an art print at the popular Woolworths department store.

Caroline’s version features her trademark bovine influence whilst remaining loyal to the nostalgia of the original.

Napoleon T-Bonaparte

We love this tongue-in-cheek interpretation of the classic ‘Napoleon Crossing the Alps’ by Jacques-Louis David. The original was painted in 1801 to signal the dawn of a new, triumphant century for France following the French Revolution.

For her own version, Caroline has added her own touches of comical realism.

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