Pablo Picasso once said, «Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.» The same could be said about memes. They lift us out of our everyday mire and remind us that there is joy and levity in every pocket of experience. It’s why we turn to humor time and time again, and scour the internet for the freshest funnies. 

So what can be said when art and memes collide? Surely an unknown splendor is wrought. They combine pure, artful expression through images with the relatable text we’ve come to love from memes. This list expresses the most basely human of experiences (ennui, desire, sloth) and prove that they are as old as history. I find that comforting. Whatever I’m going through now, a country maiden probably felt the same way in the 17th century. So scroll away, and connect with the artists of yore.