Now that’s an old master! How care home transformed its residents into works of art

FUND-raisiNg calendars frequently feature ordinary people stripping down to their birthday suits.

But the residents of an Oxford care home have – perhaps more classily – done the opposite and dressed up to pose for photos recreating famous paintings.

Wearing borrowed costumes and using makeshift props, 14 elderly residents volunteered to be in MHa Brookfield’s 2022 calendar to raise money for creative activities.

andrew reese, 57, who is the cover star in a recreation of a selfportrait by Jan van Eyck, said: ‘a tablecloth and some fur was used for my costume. i really enjoyed being a part of this – it was fun.’

activity co-ordinator Victoria Davidson said the images ‘just make you smile’, adding: ‘We’d seen the idea online and thought it would be a great way of having fun. it will help to raise funds for future activities at the home.’ The

‘They just make you smile’

pictures were taken by volunteer rebecca Phillipson, who photoshopped them into the backgrounds of the original paintings.

Describing how residents Win and Bob got their costumes for grant Wood’s american gothic, Miss Davidson said: ‘They are wearing my dad’s shirt, my brother-in-law’s jacket, my partner’s dungarees, my daughter’s glasses and an old tabard we found in the cupboard. They loved it.’

Many residents have taken up arts to ‘relax and unwind’ since arriving at the home, which provides nursing and dementia care for 66, said Miss Davidson.

she added the £12 calendars had been selling ‘like hotcakes’.

The recreated paintings include work by rembrandt van rijn, Paul

Cezanne, Frida Kahlo and amedeo Modigliani, as well as a portrait of Elizabeth i from the late 1500s.

A weeding tool stands in for a pitchfork in this interpretation of Grant Wood’s 19 0 classic American Gothic, featuring Win and Bob

The Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn did more than 40 self-portraits, including this 1660 one posed by William

David poses for Paul Cezanne’s Self-Portrait With Beret (c1898-1990), the French painter’s last self-portrait

Brookfield resident Andrew recreates Belgian master Jan van Eyck’s 14 Portrait Of A Man (Self Portrait?)

Amedeo Modigliani’s 1918 Man With A Pipe (The Notary Of Nice) was the inspiration for this image of Dave

Winter is photographed as Mary Seacole in this take on Albert Challen’s 1869 portrait of the nurse

Belgian artist Frederic Tschaggeny’s 1872 Woman With Parrot inspired this photo featuring Anica

Amina uses toys to recreate this 1940 self-portrait by Frida Kahlo

Evelyn is remade as Queen Elizabeth I in this late 1500s portrait