The Empire’s Visual Language: A History of Star Wars Propaganda Art
Few franchises have looked history this directly in the face. George Lucas did not invent the Galactic Empire’s visual identity from scratch.
Errika Gerakiti 4 May 2026
May the 4th be with you! Let’s celebrate Star Wars Day with some art! Famous paintings, like Girl with the Pearl Earring and The Wanderer, are just as much part of today’s pop culture as characters from Star Wars and other iconic movies. No wonder fans mix these two worlds together, achieving often spectacular results. Here’s our selection of the 12 best Star Wars-inspired remixes of iconic paintings!
This is a sequel to our previous article, so if you want to see even more crossovers between famous paintings and Star Wars, be sure to check it out!
Salvador Dalí, The Elephants, 1948, Salvador Dalí Museum, St. Petersburg, FL, USA.
Wintersixfour, The Robot Camels, 2015. Bored Panda.
This is the rendition of Salvador Dalí‘s classic The Elephants. The elephant on long, thin legs was a recurring motive in Dalí’s art. We can see it, for example, in his famous Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening. What is less known, however, is that it was inspired by Gianlorenzo Bernini’s statue Elephant and Obelisk in Rome. Here, the elephants are transformed into AT-ATs used by the Empire in the Battle of Hoth.
If you look closely, you’ll see tiny R2D2 and C-3PO!
Maxfield Parrish, Daybreak, 1922, private collection. Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
Scadarts, The Naboo Wedding, 2025. Instagram Scadarts.
The beautiful scenery, typical of Maxfield Parrish‘s illustrations, works perfectly as a setting for Padmé Amidala’s and Anakin Skywalker’s wedding on the planet Naboo.
This rendition was created by digital artist Scadarts, whose Instagram account specializes in Star Wars renditions. Be sure to check them out!
Andy Warhol, Elvis I and II, 1963–1964, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto. © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, inc. / SODRAC (2015). Art Canada Institute.
Solo I and II after Andy Warhol. Bored Panda.
Just a heartthrob being a heartthrob. Who were fans more obsessed with: Elvis Presley or Han Solo?
Arnold Böcklin, Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle, 1872, Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin, Germany.
Scadarts, Death Whispers after Arnold Böcklin, 2021. Instagram Scadarts.
This rendition of Arnold Bocklin’s famous self-portrait is very on point. After all, Anakin Skywalker eventually turned to the dark side of the force, symbolized by death behind him.
Matthias Stom, Supper at Emmaus, c. 1632—1639, Museum of Grenoble, Grenoble, France.
Scadarts, It’s the Ship That Made the Kessel Run in Less Than Twelve Parsecs after Matthias Stom, 2024. Instagram Scadarts.
In this image, the biblical Supper at Emmaus is reimagined as a chat at Mos Eisley Cantina, where Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker met Han Solo and Chewbacca for the first time. In the scene, Solo boasts about his pilot skills and the speed of his starship, saying the famous line “You’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon? It’s the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs.”
Théophile Steinlen, The Chat Noir, 1896, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Andrea Gatti, Sith Noir after Théophile Steinlen. Artist’s website.
Andrea Gatti is another example of an artist who often creates Star Wars-inspired renditions of famous paintings. In this particular work, the iconic Art Nouveau Le Chat Noir was transformed into the Sith Lord Darth Vader.
Roy Lichtenstein, Drowning Girl, 1963, Museum of Modern Art, New York City, NY, USA. Museum’s website.
Thomas Bergmann, Han Carbonite after Roy Lichtenstein, 2010. Artist’s website.
This dramatic scene of Han Solo being frozen in carbonite was based on Roy Liechtenstein’s 1963 Drowning Girl. Notice the “I <3 Chewie” tattoo!
Johannes Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earring, c. 1665, Mauritshuis, Hague, Netherlands.
Scadarts, Hera with a Pearl Earring after Johannes Vermeer, 2023. Instagram Scadarts.
Now it’s time for Johannes Vermeer‘s Girl with a Pearl Earring. Even though the face hasn’t changed, the headpiece and the color of her skin clearly show that this is a Baroque version of General Hera Syndulla, one of the talented pilots fighting against the Empire.
Kunisada, Parody of the Third Princess and Kashiwagi: “Chapter 50: A Hut in the Eastern Provinces”, 1858, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, NY, USA.
Rhythm Force, Ukiyo-e Star Wars: Princess Amidala & R2D2 after Kunisada. DesignBoom.
Now, this might not be a rendition of any particular Japanese print but more of an artwork in the style of ukiyo-e. It was created by Rhythm Force–A Japanese project that blends the aesthetics of traditional handmade ukiyo-e prints with the Star Wars universe! We do feel, however, Kunisada’s piece might’ve served as a main source of inspiration for this image.
Caspar David Friedrich, Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, c. 1818, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany.
Scadarts, Jedi Above the Sea of Fog, 2026. Instagram Scadarts.
Another awesome piece by Scadarts. The famous Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich now features… Luke Skywalker. The iconic Romantic painting is reminiscent of Skywalker’s hideaway at Ahch-To.
Pierre-Jacques Volaire, Vesuvius Erupting at Night, 1767, Compton Verney Art Gallery, Compton Verney, UK.
Scadarts, Eruption after Pierre-Jacques Volaire, 2022. Instagram Scadarts.
This magnificent painting depicting volcano eruption by Volaire becomes a setting for the famous lightsaber battle between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. The event left Anakin wounded and eventually led to him putting on an iconic Darth Vader mask.
Odilon Redon, Butterflies, c. 1910, Museum of Modern Art, New York City, NY, USA.
Scadarts, Butterflies after Odilon Redon, 2023. Instagram Scadarts.
We finish with this utterly cute image of Baby Yoda (Grogu) rendered among Odilon Redon‘s Butterflies. Beautiful, isn’t it?
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