Fitzwilliam Museum masterpieces reimagined with face masks

A modern update of pre-Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais’ The Bridesmaid (1851)

A museum has imagined how some of the subjects in its paintings would be protecting themselves during lockdown.

The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge has released "Masterpieces 2020" edition, featuring five well-known portraits with added protective masks.

John Everett Millais' Bridesmaid dons a floral mask to match her silk gown, while The Twins prepare for an outing with their faithful hound.

The editions are being sold as cards to support the museum during its closure.

Titian’s Venus and Cupid with a lute player (1555-1565) is given a modern twist

A spokeswoman said: "This specially-designed range provides a unique perspective on our current lives through the art we know and love.

"The cleverness is that the art direction for the masks are consistent with the style of each painting."

The Fitzwilliam, which stores examples of fine art and antiquities is more than 200 years old.

It is named in honour of Viscount Fitzwilliam, who left his art and library - along with £100,000 (about £74m today) to house them - to Cambridge University in 1816.

What are the five new editions?

• La Liseuse (The Reader) by Belgian painter Alfred Émile Léopold Stevens in c.1860.

• John Everett Millais' The Bridesmaid (1851).

• The daughters of Sir Matthew Decker, painted by Dutch artist Jan van Meyer in 1718.

• John Everett Millais ,The Twins, Kate and Grace Hoare, in 1876.

• Titian's Venus and Cupid with a lute player (1555-1565).

This image is inspired by the family portrait The daughters of Sir Matthew Decker, painted by Dutch artist Jan van Meyer in 1718

The museum, which usually has about 400,000 visitors each year, closed to the public in March.

Only its security team are on site, with some conservation staff checking the collection on weekly visits.

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