We have tons of statues and artwork to know what Julius Caesar looked like. This Roman dictator actually didn’t rule too long, so he isn’t completely unlike people that are in the news today. All in all, he really only reigned for a couple of years at best. That's pretty surprising given his fame.
Looking at him today, he almost looks like he’d be the CEO of some major corporation – Amazon, perhaps? Okay, so he’s no Jeff Bezos, but you can see it, right? He’s certainly a looker if anything! Wonder if he would still fall head over heels for the modern-day Cleopatra…
There’s a lot of mystery surrounding Anne Boleyn. Namely, what she looked like! While we’re all familiar with seeing the painting of her wearing the “B” necklace, some historians believe that may not have even been her. They think it could have been her sister, Mary. Others think it’s without a doubt her as the other Boleyn paintings we have aren’t of the same person.
Regardless, it’s easy to see how King Henry VIII fell for her. Clearly, if Boleyn was alive today she’d be some sort of influencer – and probably a lot happier with her head since Henry couldn’t do her dirty as he did.
No offense to Queen Elizabeth II, but her namesake was easily the best ruler England has ever seen. Queen Elizabeth I brought about a Golden Age where England prospered. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, but it was better than the nation had seen in a really long time. Plus, she worked hard to maintain peace, which wasn’t easy.
Considering how much she loved the arts, we naturally have a ton of paintings of this pretty lady. Today, she would likely look just as classy. It would certainly be interesting to see Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Elizabeth II have a conversation – both women that ruled one of the strongest nations in the world.
So, there are some debates that Mona Lisa wasn’t even a real person, but that’s all Bologna – pun intended. This painting was based on a real Florentine woman by the name of Lisa Gherardini. Apparently, she was Leonardo da Vinci’s muse and model. She had tons of influence over the famous artist.
If she were alive today, she could certainly tell us what her mysterious smile was all about. We love the modern-day image of her because it shows her wild, curly hair in all its glory. It’s easy to see why she was da Vinci’s muse! Then again, if she were alive today, she likely wouldn’t become as famous as she is now.
Most of us read the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass when we were in school. It was one of the most important pieces of literature we likely picked up, but have you ever wondered what he would look like today? As Juneteenth passes to be an official federal holiday, we had to include him.
We love that the artist kept him in a bowtie because he still looks super dapper. Douglass would still likely be very outspoken about current events and still teach about equality. The only difference is that he would be teaching a different generation. However, his work was extremely important, so we’re happy he was there to fight the good fight in the 1800s.
Where would the world be without Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? Mozart is one of the most prolific composers that has ever lived, and he wrote pieces like "The Magic Flute," "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik," "Requiem," and so many more. It’s impossible to get through life without hearing several of his pieces (mostly since they’re often used in movies).
Eventually, Mozart went completely deaf by 44. Maybe if he had lived in modern times, something could have been done to prevent it. That would have given him more time to write more amazing pieces of music. Here we see a younger image of Mozart just as he was becoming famous. He looks sweet!
Considering how quickly King Henry VIII packed on the pounds during his ruling, he likely would have been more than happy to be alive today. They didn’t exactly have Burger King in the 1500s. Would he be offended at “Burger King?” Who knows! Maybe Henry would be more of a McDonald’s man.
Honestly, we’re kinda glad that King Henry VIII isn’t alive today. He didn’t exactly treat his wives with the utmost respect. Plus, Queen Elizabeth II is a pretty great figurehead, so no complaints there. All in all, history worked out decently with this one (although Anne Boleyn probably has a few complaints).
Girl with a Pearl Earring is a little unique because she isn’t based on a real person. While the artist, Johannes Vermeer, likely had a real model he used as a reference, Girl with a Pearl Earring isn’t based on a single woman, according to some historians. Others believe it may have been Vermeer’s daughter or perhaps his mistress.
Over the years, the painting has been known by many names, and in 2006, the Dutch people deemed it the most beautiful painting in the Netherlands. Today, this beauty would have to be a model (if she were real). With her big blue eyes, we could even see her as a top actress. The world would certainly be her oyster!
Ah, Pocahontas. It was a story we learned from a young age thanks to Disney, but the real story is much less pretty. Born in 1565, her real name was Amonute or Matoaka in private. It's true she was a chief's daughter. Powhatan, her father, was one of the most formidable Native American rulers the English had ever seen.
John Smith wrote about how she'd saved him, but it was years after anyone would be able to dispute the facts. John Smith was actually a pretty crappy guy – the kind you wouldn’t want on your ship across the sea. You’d have to be a bad dude to essentially kidnap and get in a relationship with an 11-year-old girl.
Elizabeth Bathory is one of the darkest women in history, and that’s saying a lot. The woman was absolutely coo-coo, and movies have been made to detail her insanity. See, Bathory was the woman who wanted to stay young forever, and she did that by bathing in the blood of young girls.
It was all fine and dandy while she was taking out the lower classes, but when she started picking on the upper tiers, people started to raise questions. It didn’t take long for her downfall after that. Honestly, we’re lucky that she isn’t alive today. We have enough going on as it is.
Nefertiti’s bust is one of the most famous pieces of art most of us have seen in pictures or in real life. She was a queen and wife of King Akhenaton. She was immensely important in changing Egypt's polytheistic (multi-god) religion into one that was monotheistic (single god). Talk about a powerful woman!
She’s often depicted as the global icon of feminine beauty and power. Today, she’d still probably be just as strong and independent. We’re not sure whether she would fight for human rights or an actress. Well, why not both?! It wasn’t like celebrities really have to pick one or the other!
With recent musicals and whatnot, George Washington is back in the picture in full force. Some people are just wondering what he would think of the world as it is today. Honestly, we’ve wondered that ourselves. Would one of our Founding Fathers be happy about America? What did he picture when he thought about the future?
Looking at his modern picture, we know he’d certainly stay in his line of work. Then again, there’s plenty of ways to influence a nation. You don’t necessarily have to do it in the House or Senate! We’re glad the artist also kept his rosy cheeks because that’s always been an important part of Washington’s character.
Thomas Jefferson’s comin’ hooooome! Okay, enough Hamilton. Although, Jefferson would probably still ask, “So what did I miss?” If he were alive today, so much happens day-to-day that it’s almost hard to follow! Unlike some of the other Founding Fathers, Jefferson doesn’t look like he’d stay in the same line of work.
He’d probably be in the C-Suite of some major company. Honestly, he looks like he could lead Tesla into a brand new age. Considering he was one of the earlier presidents of the United States, Jefferson is probably happy about how history ended up. He likely wouldn’t make it today.
Abraham Lincoln is one of the most famous presidents America has ever seen. While we wouldn’t want to detract from his great achievements, it sure would be interesting to see what he could get accomplished today. His character would still be intact, and that was all about bringing peace to America during a time of great turmoil.
Looking at his modern-day picture, he looks pretty dapper! Honestly, he doesn’t look unlike David Tennant, which is a little strange. One thing is for sure, with the current security protocols to do anything nowadays, Lincoln would be able to enjoy a play in peace! Maybe he would be a fan of Hamilton.
Marie Antoinette is the famous French queen that bought and bought until the nation’s bank account looked like Spaghetti-Os – all zeros. She was queen during the French Revolution and supposedly famously said “Let them eat cake!” Well, I hate to break it to you, but she actually didn’t say that line.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was the first person to put the line into print, and he attributed it to a different high-class woman. Not that Antoinette was a great person – she still was convicted of treason and promptly executed – but at least she wasn’t completely tone-deaf. Considering France at the time, that’s the least she could do.
Few people are as beautiful as Grace Kelly, including both men and women. This film actress was absolutely stunning and starred in massively popular films during the early to mid-'50s from Rear Window to High Society. Later in her life, she married Prince Rainier III and became the Princess of Monaco. You get yours, Kelly!
It’s hard to imagine what she would look like today because she was so classy in the ‘50s. That being said, today, she would likely maintain the same poise and elegance. With her natural makeup to her beautiful braided hair, Grace would still catch the eye of some high-powered prince.
