Harry Rosehill

These People Had Famous Artworks Painted On Their Naked Bodies

Naked human canvasses took to the streets of London, displaying five of the world's most famous artworks. They stood outside the National Gallery, in a bid to encourage Londoners to engage with art.

From left to right the artworks are: Edvard Munch's The Scream, Picasso's Seated Lady, Roy Lichtenstein's Girl with Hair Ribbon, Mondrian's Red, Blue and Yellow Composition and Van Gogh's Sunflowers.

It's all about getting Brits more engaged with art, after a study has shown that one in six people have never set foot in an art gallery. The stunt was commissioned by Rise Art, in a bid to show Londoners — via the power of nudity — that art is for everyone.

The work was led by award-winning body paint artist Sarah Atwell who had a team of five help her, as the pieces took twelve hours. She said:

I've worked on a number of large scale projects but this has definitely been one of my biggest challenges. We've worked hard to ensure we do these incredible artworks justice and are so pleased with the results.

As PR stunts go it's eye catching, but we can't help feeling sorry for the models involved. Standing outside with that much exposed skin on a cold and damp autumn morning isn't something we'd wish on anyone.

Perhaps that's why the models went subterranean, warming up in Charing Cross tube station. Either that, or for the photo ops. Still, the picture of the wide-eyed commuter is fantastic.