What Julius Caesar And Other Historical Figures Would Look Like Today (27 Pics)

History is the stuff of books; old, flat, and forgotten by most. It can be easy for non-history buffs to forget that the world-historical figures they learned about in school were real, flesh-and-blood people not that long ago. And while paintings and sculptures remind us of this fact they are still mainly relegated to museums and those aforementioned textbooks, artifacts and not living things.

Now one artist, who describes herself as a graphic designer and history enthusiast, is doing something to change that. Using the Instagram account Royalty Now Becca Saladin has taken a digital paintbrush to those likenesses of yore, filling them with color and updating them with a modern look that makes them look very much alive.

The effect is both fascinating and startling. Queen Elizabeth looks like the spoiled child of Hollywood royalty, Napoleon looks like a conservative TV news pundit, while Alexander the Great looks like he should have a recurring role in a teen drama on the CW.

This is what the kings and queens of bygone eras would have looked like today.

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Julius Caesar. This was a fun one that took some time and I’ve been really excited to share. I think he has a very regal look about him – what do you guys think?

A post shared by @ royalty_now_ on Sep 17, 2019 at 8:24am PDT

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Throwback to the stunning Queen Nefertiti. . . . This bust of Nefertiti (believed to have been sculpted during her lifetime) is famous for its grace and beauty. Nefertiti lived from approximately 1370 – 1330 BC. She was an Egyptian queen and the wife of Akhenaten, an Egyptian Pharaoh. Akhenaten is famous for his attempt to transition Egypt into a monotheistic society (worshipping only the sun god, Aten), instead of a polytheistic one.

A post shared by @ royalty_now_ on Oct 19, 2019 at 9:52am PDT

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I wasn’t aware when I started this one that Alexander the Great would look like a modern day member Harvard Crew team, yet here we are 😂 I did some research on his looks and it is recorded that he had curly golden hair and heterochromia (one eye blue and one eye brown or a combo of both), so he was definitely a striking figure.

A post shared by @ royalty_now_ on Oct 2, 2019 at 11:59am PDT

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Did you know that Napoleon was most likely 5’7″? That’s taller than King Louis XIV. Some say his perceived smaller stature was due to him looking small in comparison to his huge accomplishments. Others say it there was an error when translating his true height from French to English. Who do you think he looks like here? Original portrait by Jacques-Louis David.

A post shared by @ royalty_now_ on Sep 11, 2019 at 11:13am PDT

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I updated my original Queen Elizabeth I! I brought in more modern features which I think bring her look more into modern day while maintaining the integrity of the portrait. Let me know what you think!

A post shared by @ royalty_now_ on Nov 2, 2019 at 7:08am PDT

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Agrippina the Younger is someone I only recently learned more about, but she had a crazy life. She was the sister to Emperor Caligula, and the mother to Emperor Nero. I highly recommend giving her a search if you’re interested in that era of roman history! I couldn’t find any contemporary descriptions of her looks, so I based her coloring off of Caligula’s, who did have his looks described (and who was a former Royalty Now subject!). Swipe right ➡️ do you guys see any resemblance? I see it in the eyebrows and nose.

A post shared by @ royalty_now_ on Dec 5, 2019 at 2:02pm PST

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A couple of people have requested, so I’m carrying on with the six wives of Henry VIII. Jane Seymour was the third wife of Henry VIII, and the only one to give him a living son and heir. . . . . #JaneSeymour #HenryVIII #1500s #1500sHistory #EnglishHistory #BritishHistory #TudoryHistory #HistoryofEngland #EnglishMonarchy #Monarchy #Royalty #RoyaltyNow #HistoryoftheMonarchy #AnneBoleyn #CatherineHoward #AnneofCleves #ElizabethofYork #HenryVII #RichardIII #Portrait #GraphicDesign #Photoshop #History #HistoricalPortrait #QueenElizabeth #PrinceHarry #PrinceWilliam

A post shared by @ royalty_now_ on Aug 20, 2019 at 12:16pm PDT

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Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire was one of the most fascinating characters of the 18th century. She was an English socialite, political organizer, style icon, author, and activist. She is a distant relative of Princess Diana, and gained much attention and fame throughout her lifetime. . . . . #GeorgianaCavendish #princessdiana #dianaspencer #royaltynow #photoshop #graphicdesign #history #EnglishHistory #1700s #1800s #historycometolife #britishhistory #duchessofdevonshire #theduchess #keiraknightley

A post shared by @ royalty_now_ on May 5, 2019 at 10:15am PDT

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Prince Albert, shown here at age 21 and painted by John Partridge in 1840. Albert was the Prince Consort to Queen Victoria for 22 years, resulting in 9 children and a massive dynasty that would eventually extend to many of the royal houses in Europe. . . #PrinceAlbert #QueenVictoria #SaxeCoburgGotha #BritishRoyalty #HydePark #PrinceAlbertMemorial #BritishRoyalFamily #KensingtonPalace #AlbertandVictoria #VictoriaandAlbert #1800s #EnglishHistory #RoyalFamily #EuropeanRoyalFamilies #RoyalFamiliesofEurope #YoungVictoria #Victoria #Albert #1800sHistory #Photoshop #PhotoshoppedHistory

A post shared by @ royalty_now_ on May 29, 2019 at 12:53pm PDT

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Caligula, infamous brat & Roman Emperor. Does he look like you thought he would? 😏

A post shared by @ royalty_now_ on Oct 13, 2019 at 3:31pm PDT