Even if it doesn't necessarily make it better, give something an anime makeover and you can at least make it interesting. Beyond putting everything under the filter of typical anime-trope aesthetics, you can bring up some insightful comparisons, or perhaps even highlight just how realistic and accurate some anime artists have been. One new coffee table art book in Japan, however, is perhaps best served as an observation of styles clashing, as it reinterprets classic paintings with a modern anime style.

It's called Eshi de Irodoru Sekai no Meiga (絵師で彩る世界の名画, World Famous Masterpieces by Artists), and as its title implies, features a variety of world famous classic paintings, but redone with somewhat of a stereotypical anime takeover by game and manga artists, including Kazuharu Kina of Medabots. While the artwork and attention to detail is top-notch, the modern anime aesthetic is such a departure from the subtle and somewhat rustic look of some these classics that you are bound to either love it or hate it. You can likely accept certain differences to simply be following the characteristics of modern anime style, but we imagine the mix of big boobs and kawaii-aesthetic will be a jarring contrast for some. For instance, take a look at The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer.

The bombardment of gaudy colors and anime style can really be seen in this interpretation of A Bar at the Folies-Bergère by Édouard Manet.

On the other hand, these are all done in good fun, and perhaps some of the departures from the original work are what make them stand out as anime makeovers, aiming to re-imagine instead of replicate. Here are a few more examples that show off that.

On May 26th the art book will hit bookstores in Japan for a retail price of 2,200 yen ($20.04 USD). While we imagine the clash of styles will leave you on one end of the take it or leave it spectrum, they are at least an impressive effort at re-imagining classics under a different aesthetic. With Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Edvard Munch, and even Sotatsu Tawaraya among the many masters of their craft represented, there is a wide array of styles to see reinterpreted.