Ground-Breaking CGI Shows What Historical Figures May Have Actually Looked Like

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We're not sure if we're happy or sad about this awesome development in technology. One thing is for sure, though: we're definitely fascinated! While CGI imaging certainly takes some of the mystery out of our favorite historical figures, we can't help but marvel at what they really would have looked like.

We have to admit that it can get pretty annoying trying to imagine what people of the past looked like based on just a sculpture, bad portrait, or in some cases, actual skeletons. We need to imagine them as living, breathing people! Luckily, today's advanced CGI technology offers exactly that.

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St. Nicholas (Santa Claus) - Before CGI​

No, it's not a joke, Santa Claus IS real and he's actually quite creepy - facially, that is. He wasn't made a saint for no reason. So, who is the man behind the myth? Saint Nicholas was also known as Nikolaos of Myra; a 4th Century Christian Saint and Greek Bishop of Myra. How we came to believe that Santa Claus lives in the North Pole gets a little confusing by this point considering the fact that he was a Bishop who resided in Patara, Turkey!


St. Nicholas had quite the reputation as a wonderworker as he would often practice secret gift giving by leaving coins in children's shoes, and so the tradition of Christmas was born. However, the saint was a patron of many things, including sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, and pawnbrokers. Busy guy.

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St. Nicholas (Santa Claus) - After CGI​

So, you're probably wondering by now why St. Nicholas looks completely different to every depiction or representation that we've seen of him. Good question. Considering his Turkish heritage, it would seem obvious that Saint Nicholas, who would later become the blueprint for the fictional Santa Claus, wouldn't have rosy cheeks and pale white skin. Instead he would be of a darker skin tone, which you can see from the CGI 3D recreation of Saint Nick.


In Western cultures it's not all too uncommon for people to assume the whiteness of historical figures. We mean, just look at Jesus. Born in Jerusalem and we still assume that he was white? It would seem that Saint Nick went under the same white washing. At least they got the beard and hair though, right? The eyes are pretty terrifying, though.

Ground-Breaking CGI Shows What Historical Figures May Have Actually Looked Like

If you're a true history buff, you really can't miss this gallery - it's amazing, even if we do say so ourselves. We've got all the famous people of t…

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Jesus Christ - Before CGI​

Do we really need to do an intro on Jesus Christ? Oh, go on then, just for the readers who are particularly averse to the bible. Jesus, or Jesus of Nazareth, is unarguably one of the most prominent figures in Christianity as the Son of God and the awaited Messiah of the Old Testament, which is how he went about getting his name Jesus Christ.


Whilst a lot of the bible may be read as fiction by some and fact by Christians, there has been a lot of skepticism as to whether Jesus ever actually existed or not. All modern scholars of antiquity have come together in agreement that Jesus did exist. Although the unenviable quest to find any trace of the real-life Jesus Christ proved to be more than just a little bit difficult.

Jesus Christ - After CGI​

It turns out that Jesus wasn't Jared Leto pretty with perfect abs after all. In fact, he looks a lot like your average carpenter. Perhaps Jesus on the crucifix was the first example of airbrushing in history? But hold on, let's take a step back from this one considering the fact that it was pretty impossible to determine which living man of that era was actually Jesus Christ.


The reconstruction of the man who may have been Jesus or just some random guy that was found under the Shroud of Turin will probably come as quite a surprise to all of those who were expecting a white male Adonis. Turns out that Jesus is another historical figure that got whitewashed. The west really has to stop that nasty habit of stealing other cultures and adopting them as their own.

Ground-Breaking CGI Shows What Historical Figures May Have Actually Looked Like

If you're a true history buff, you really can't miss this gallery - it's amazing, even if we do say so ourselves. We've got all the famous people of t…

www.culturehook.com

 

[prasad1]

Cleopatra - Before CGI​

As soon as you hear the name Cleopatra you instantly think of the last active pharaoh of Egypt - so what made her so 'first name famous' in the first place? Cleopatra VII Philopator was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty who was also a member of Macedonian Greek origin who saw their rule shortly after the death of Alexander the Great. Other members of her origin refused to speak Egyptian and only used Greek to communicate. Interestingly, that is the sole reason that the Greek language was used on official court documents such as the Rosetta Stone.


However, Cleopatra was keen to adopt the Egyptian language and culture as she represented herself as the one and only reincarnation of the Egyptian goddess Isis. Perhaps she was just on a little bit of an ego trip.

Cleopatra - After CGI

Watching Cleopatra's face come to life is awe inspiring. As one of the most famous women to have ever graced the planet, it's only natural that experts were keen to see what she really looked like. The standards of beauty have changed significantly in recent years, but if it could be said that anyone's beauty was timeless, no one fits that bill better than Cleopatra. Whilst it cannot be said that Cleopatra isn't beautiful, whether she can be aesthetically regarded as a Goddess is quite another thing.
But it's not all about looks, right? Which seems ironic to say in an article all about seeing historical figures come to life, but Cleopatra's real-life face may be the least disappointing on the list - you'll have to see for yourselves and stick with us until the end!

Ground-Breaking CGI Shows What Historical Figures Actually Looked Like

Scientists reconstruct the faces of famous historical figures using scans of skeletal remains.

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