These recreations recall the work of the artist Nina Katchadourian, whose series “Lavatory Self-Portraits in the Flemish Style” was shot entirely in airplane bathrooms. They’re part of a larger body of work, called “Seat Assignment,” in which she creates art during commercial flights.

“I was trying to make art under circumstances where art doesn’t seem possible. It involves a kind of magic trick,” Ms. Katchadourian said. “It’s not unrelated to the constraints people are under now.” She’s “delighted and charmed” to see that others are taking to the form.

Francesco De Grazia, a 25-year-old classical guitarist from Sicily, said that almost every concert and artistic event he had been looking forward to has been canceled, leaving him with plenty of time on his hands to dress up like a Caravaggio painting. “The only possibility is to make use of the tools offered by the web while waiting for this nightmare to pass,” he said. “I hope I was able to make someone laugh.”

Although not normally a big fan of social media, Crystal Filep, a 36-year-old urban planner from Wellington, New Zealand, decided to join in after her mother encouraged her to try her hand at the challenge. “I was attracted to the bodily, tactile nature,” she said. “I had been spending an unhealthy amount of time in front of screens for virtual meetings, emails, spreadsheets.” Turning away from work to take part in a creative exercise “helped lighten things, and put things in perspective,” Ms. Filep said.