How Old Are Art’s Most Famous Faces?

Watson Adventures How Old Mona LisaIf you’ve glanced at social media in the past week, you’ve probably noticed a sudden fascination with how old we look. You can thank how-old.net, a demo of Microsoft’s new facial-recognition technology. Plug in a photo and the #HowOldRobot tries to guess your age and gender (because that’s something we definitely needed in the world).

It’s fun and silly and often hilariously inaccurate. So let’s see how well it works on some of our favorite pieces of art. Is Mona Lisa still a spring chicken? How’s David looking these days? Read on to find out what an Internet robot thinks!

1. The Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci

Watson Adventures How Old Mona Lisa

2. Self-Portrait, Vincent van Gogh

Watson Adventures How Old van Gogh

3. David, Michelangelo

4. Girl with a Pearl Earring, Johannes Vermeer

Watson Adventures How Old Girl with Pearl Earring

5. Marilyn Monroe, Andy Warhol

6. Guernica, Pablo Picasso


No faces, huh? Geez, everyone’s a critic.
To guess how old art looks in real life, check out our public calendar for scavenger hunts in cities all across the country.