Classic paintings and film stills given wheat-free makeovers in 'Gluten Free Museum' project

One of the internet's more bizarre artistic offerings

'The Harvesters' by Pieter Bruegel has a wheat-free makeover courtesy of Arthur Coulet (Bruegel/Coulet)

It is well known that a lot of very strange stuff lurks on the internet, but one French blogger’s ‘Gluten Free Museum’ is one of the stranger artistic discoveries.

Graphic artist Arthur Coulet decided to airbrush all wheat-containing products out of classic paintings and film stills, not to make fun of the gluten-free movement, but as “a joke”. The idea first came to him when he noticed gluten-free ads, but he does not follow a gluten-free diet himself.

Up to 1 per cent of the British population suffers from coeliac disease, a gluten-triggered disorder that can lead to serious health problems, and are forced to avoid wheat. But some celebrities have highlighted the supposed benefits of a wheat-free diet regardless, leading to a food craze with sales of gluten-free products rising 15 per cent last year.

Coulet’s Gluten Free Museum started drawing attention in April and soon, news sites began interpreting his project as a mockery of the suddenly popular gluten-free diet. “It’s art, minus the gluten. Finally,” The Huffington Post wrote, but Coulet insists there is no message behind his blog.

“This is a serious matter, that’s why I’ve decided to bring lightness and pleasure with art,” he told the BBC.

Bread has been removed from a still lifes by Jean Simeon Chardin, bales of wheat crops erased from a late summer Vincent Van Gogh and even the spaghetti made famous in Disney film Lady and the Tramp has been stolen from the enamoured dogs’ shared plate.

Gladiator would have had to forgo that iconic wheat scene

http://glutenimage.tumblr.com/post/116592842261/daprès-ridley-scott

“The Milkmaid” by Johannes Vermeer

http://glutenimage.tumblr.com/post/115200155276/daprès-johannes-vermeer

Chief Wiggum from The Simpsons would seriously miss that donut

http://glutenimage.tumblr.com/post/114146452106/daprès-matt-groening

“Siesta” by Vincent Van Gogh

http://glutenimage.tumblr.com/post/110250372761/daprès-vincent-van-gogh

Jean Simeon Chardin still lifes would be lacking

http://glutenimage.tumblr.com/post/110250281181/daprès-jean-siméon-chardin

The classic Guinness advert would look...different

http://glutenimage.tumblr.com/post/113544432651/daprès-guinness

Lady and the Tramp would have no spaghetti to fall in love over

http://glutenimage.tumblr.com/post/110250319471/daprès-walt-disney

For more from Coulet, visit his website at glutenimage.tumblr.com.