No, the last time you saw the above photograph wasn’t it hanging in the Renaissance section of the National Gallery in London.
In 2016, photographer Joel Goodman captured a Manchester street strewn with drunk revellers on New Year’s Eve.
First appearing on the Manchester Evening News, the photo shows police wrestling a man in the foreground, crowds outside a Greggs and a man who looks ready to be drawn like a French girl with his belly half out.
The snap went viral on social media, with users recreating it as a watercolour painting or using the man as their artistic muse.
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Others found it almost perfectly flowed with the golden ratio – a snail shell-shaped proportion frequently found in nature and paintings.
A lot has changed in the nearly 10 years since the Well Street Renaissance photo was taken, but it doesn’t seem anyone has forgotten about it.
Mancunian Ross posted on Bluesky about how she was leaving the pub when she spotted ‘young-ish people frolicking on a random side street’.
‘They’re all wearing black, have got their phones out and are in odd positions on the pavement and in the side street,’ she said.
‘They seem to be yelling directions at each other. After a second of observing, I realise. “Are you all trying to recreate the accidental Renaissance picture?!” “YES!!!”‘
The group of art lovers had travelled to Manchester from Italy to see Oasis perform in Heaton for Liam and Noel Gallagher’s Live ’25 Tour.
Ross said she decided to help out the Adidas-clad fans recreate Goodman’s photograph by pretending to be one of the officers.
‘We got chatting and (although I had to admit my general neutrality towards Oasis) I was effusive about how much I love this city after over a decade of living here and that they should all visit again,’ Ros added.
‘It was so, so lovely. Supersonic! Molto bene!’
And other Bluesky users agreed. ‘Recreating the masterpiece,’ said Daniel Savage, an artist. ‘What a joyful thing in this miserable world.
Simon Smith, a journalist, added: ‘This is one of the best artistic statements ever made by any Italians. Ever.’
Goodman, the man behind the original photo, felt the same – and for a very important reason.
‘You’ve got to love these Oasis fans travelling from Italy to celebrate Mancunian culture,’ he told Metro.
‘As artificial intelligence (AI) saps the humanity and diversity from the world’s creative wonders, it warms my soul to see people celebrate their love for music and photographs that reflect real human experiences, only made possible because they were created by humans.’
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