Been there, bought the T-shirt

The journey of an artwork can sometimes be controversial and unpredictable, as is still the case of The Elgin Marbles, one of the many objects recently recounted by Neil McGregor in the BBC Radio Four series A History of the World in a Hundred Objects. McGregor approaches these works from an anthropological point of view as he considers how the needs and desires of civilizations brought about the realisation of things either practical or beautiful, and sometimes both. In light of this, consider the joyful union of esteemed artworks and fashion.

Firstly we have a particular favourite of mine from around three years ago:

A Discus Thrower from Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli...

...as a tourist souvenir in the gift shop.

Then George Stubbs' Whistlejacket...

...making a little detour as Mark Wallinger's appropriation in his 2001 work Ghost...

...winding up on a ladies sweatshirt in Topshop. I caught this today out of the corner of eye, and alas I could not miss Whistlejacket staring out mournfully at me with his big, iron-on-transfer eyes I'm blaming this on retro-chic, assuming that the eighteenth century is all the rage right now. Guillotine earrings and hot-air balloon up-dos, coming to a high street near you.