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Rowdy New Year’s Eve Photo Is a Modern-Day Renaissance Masterpiece

Modern Masterpiece Based on Perfect Composition Photography by Joel Goodman

Photo credit: Joel Goodman

Sometimes, life imitates art in the most unexpected of ways. On New Year's Eve, photographer Joel Goodman was snapping pictures of partygoers in Manchester when he happened to capture this rowdy scene: police were wrestling one person to the ground, while another man had nearly passed out reaching for his beer behind them. What could be described as a typical New Year's celebration photo has an unusual and special characteristic–its “perfect composition” is reminiscent of a Renaissance masterpiece painting.

The striking similarities were first pointed out by BBC producer Roland Hughes after the photo appeared online. “So much going on this pic of New Year in Manchester by the Evening News,” he tweeted. “Like a beautiful painting.” After the discovery, this tweet soon went viral, garnering tens of thousands of likes and retweets. Users then began remixing Goodman's perfect example of composition photography, applying the golden ratio and transforming it into oil paintings reminiscent of the Old Masters. Some even Photoshopped the “beer man” into famous works of art! Check out some of our favorite iterations, below.

Update: Prints of the original photograph are now available to purchase directly through Goodman's website.

Photographer Joel Goodman captured a candid shot of New Year's Eve in Manchester that has instantly become a modern masterpiece and the perfect example of composition photography.

Modern Masterpiece Based on Perfect Composition Photography by Joel Goodman

Photo credit: @josejacas

Modern Masterpiece Based on Perfect Composition Photography by Joel Goodman

Photo credit: @NOTLR

Modern Masterpiece Based on Perfect Composition Photography by Joel Goodman

Photo credit: @kapowaz

Modern Masterpiece Based on Perfect Composition Photography by Joel Goodman

Photo credit: @mjlovatt_LFC

Modern Masterpiece Based on Perfect Composition Photography by Joel Goodman

Photo credit: @Vordio

Modern Masterpiece Based on Perfect Composition Photography by Joel Goodman

Photo credit: @johnbeck_

Joel Goodman: Website | Buy Prints
h/t: [PetaPixel, Twisted Sifter]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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