French artist (and superhero superfan) Sacha Goldberger had a weird idea, and he didn’t let go until it became a reality. The fine art photographer wanted to recreate the superheroes (and villains) of his youth in the style of the paintings of the Flemish 16th and 17th century masters.

“What if Superman was born in the 16th Century? What if the Hulk was a duke? How would Van Euyk have painted Snow White?”

Goldberger started with models who look remarkably like their movie counterparts. He dressed the models in complex, lush versions of their costumes rendered (modestly) in expensive fabrics. The models are then formally posed like nobles, then moodily lit in the Flemish Renaissance style, and the results are undeniably fun and gorgeous.

You can see the entire collection on Sacha Goldberger’s website.

All images property of Sacha Goldberger.