Cultural and historical context also come into play when one considers more direct influences of the past upon the present. Some contemporary artists employ acknowledged masterworks as the subject of their works. Modifications are made that change the theme of a given work, which makes the work more relevant to contemporary issues and values. An example of this process -- where the old is the source of inspiration for the new -- is a very popular 18th century portrait of a young man, often referred to as The Blue Boy.

Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) was a renowned painter of the wealthy in England; royalty and a rich merchant class provided him with a continual stream of commissions over most of his productive career. His Blue Boy is an acknowledged masterpiece of the art of portraiture. Although it is actually a portrait of the son of a wealthy hardware merchant, this work appears to epitomize the meaning of the term "aristocrat." It is a visual metaphor for the social aspirations of the truly "civilized" gentleman: to possess the self confidence that wealth and power bestow as well as a keen sense of fashion.

The contemporary painting, Endangered Masterpiece, utilizes the image of Gainsborough's portrait to express the artist's view of the sad plight of the endangered tiger, one of the most magnificent of nature's creatures. It is the encroachment of so called civilization that has caused the tiger to be endangered; and by assuming the pose and dressing the tiger in the clothing of the aristocrat, a visual metaphor for the abuses of the natural world by "civilized society" is created.