Beyoncé's Birth Announcement Is Jam-Packed with Art References

The internet collectively lost its shit early Friday morning when fertility goddess incarnate Beyoncé Knowles-Carter posted her official birth announcement to Instagram, introducing her one-month-old twins, Sir and Rumi Carter, to the world. The highly-stylized photograph pictures Beyoncé wreathed in flowers, draped with a flowing blue veil, cradling her newborns to her breast. Based on the stylistic parallels between this image and the singer's February pregnancy announcement, it's safe to assume that the portrait of Sir and Rumi is the work of photographer Awol Erizku, a talented multidisciplinary artist known for interspersing fine art and contemporary pop culture references throughout his documentary-leaning photo work, and artful florist Sarah Lineberger.

[UPDATE: At the time of writing, Creators believed the photographer was Awol Erizku based on Erizku's previous photos announcing Beyoncé's pregnancy. The New York Times, however, identified the photographer as Mason Poole. The rest of the article has been amended to reflect this.]

What's rather surprising to us here at Creators is not the outpouring of "QUEEEEEEN" and "omg soooooo cute" in the comments on Bey's Instagram, but rather the reactions from haters denouncing her pregnancy announcement series as "a bad HS art project," comparing them to "the photos you take at the mall."

To definitively prove to you that Beyoncé is a fine art connoisseur whose personal projects and social media presence are packed with highbrow cultural references—or, Poole is, at least—here are all the art history references to be found in the twins' birth announcement:

Whether or not you know it by name, pretty much everyone can picture this Botticelli painting. A sultry-looking nude lady stands demurely inside a seashell rising from the ocean. Noisey got an art historian, King's College London Art History PhD candidate Ellie Jones, to break down the parallels between Botticelli's painting and Poole's recreation:

The Virgin Mary cradling a baby Jesus pops up time and and time again in fine art, predominantly in Western painting. She's most often depicted in blue, symbolizing virtue. Beyoncé's sky blue veil makes her look downright saintly. Coupled with the infants in her arms, the look directly references imagery of the Madonna and Child.

It's hard not to see the parallels between Beyoncé's pregnancy announcement and Modersohn-Becker's painting, picturing the artist cradling her pregnant belly. Her direct gaze challenges the viewer, just like the singer's. Here's Jones's take:

In Beyoncé's extended pregnancy announcement series, shot by Erizku, a bust of Queen Nefertiti features prominently in some of the portraits. Nefertiti is widely speculated to be ancient Egypt's first female Pharaoh, ruling briefly in the time between the death of her husband Akhenaten and before the accession of Tutankhamun. It's a fitting icon for Queen Bey to include in her portraits, which exude strength and femininity.

Check out Beyoncé's official birth announcement on Instagram, and click here to visit Mason Poole's website.

Related:

Beyonce's Pregnancy Photos and the Contemporary Artist Behind Them

Awol Erizku Talks Creative Voice and Duchamp Detox Clinic

From Van Gogh To Jeff Koons, Here's a History of Flowers in Art