Centuries-Old Portrait in London Has Fans Convinced Finn Wolfhard Time-Traveled
A portrait from the 1600s at London’s National Portrait Gallery has gone viral online after fans noticed it looks almost exactly like Finn Wolfhard, the actor from Stranger Things. A TikTok video posted on March 2 by user @mica_spamx sparked the craze. The clip has been watched over 48,000 times and liked more than 12,000 times.
The painting shows Cesare Alessandro Scaglia, painted in 1634 by Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck. In the TikTok, a young woman zooms in on the painting, clearly surprised by the resemblance, and the video text jokingly asks, “Guys why is Finn Wolfhard in London’s National Gallery?” The post caption read, “My friend pointed out that he looks just like him.”
Viewers on TikTok quickly reacted, amazed at the likeness. One wrote, “Why’s that literally him I’m scared.” Another said, “OMG I thought this exact thing when I saw it.” Many fans joined in on the humor, adding comments like “bro he’s historic” and “bye that’s terrifying.” Some even shared that they had taken photos of the painting themselves, showing that the resemblance had caught other gallery visitors’ attention as well.
Head to Room 21 to take a closer look at the elegant and formidable Cesare Alessandro Scaglia di Verrua – the folds and detail of his lavish black robes are now visible after cleaning.
— National Gallery (@NationalGallery) September 19, 2021
Book your ticket to visit here: https://t.co/ojzGU00yfN pic.twitter.com/DRhOjICEkY
The conversation in the comments turned into a mix of jokes and disbelief, with people imagining that Wolfhard—or a doppelgänger from the 17th century, was captured in oil paint long before he was born. Experts note that van Dyck’s paintings often feature aristocrats or important figures with very lifelike features. That realism could explain why people today see familiar faces in his centuries-old work.
It’s not unusual for art viewers to notice modern lookalikes in historical portraits. In this case, the combination of Wolfhard’s youthful features and van Dyck’s attention to detail made the resemblance especially striking.
It is fascinating how a painting from almost 400 years ago can feel so current. It’s fun to think about history connecting to modern pop culture in unexpected ways. What do you think, does this painting really look like Finn Wolfhard, or is it just a coincidence? Share your thoughts in the comments.