Joe Richardson's 'The Procession to Calvary' Blends Renaissance Art with Point-and-Click Gaming

Joe Richardson, an American developer, is creating 'The Procession to Calvary', a video game that combines 17th-century Florentine art with 1990s point-and-click adventure mechanics. The game uses collages of historical artworks to create irreverent scenes. Richardson previously released 'Four Last Things' in 2017, which used Bosch's paintings for apocalyptic and irreverent scenarios set in hell. That project was presented at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Smithsonian Museum in Washington. The success of 'Four Last Things' led Richardson to develop a sequel. A Kickstarter campaign launched on August 14 aimed to raise $7,500 by early September, easily surpassed with support from over 200 backers. Rewards included a soundtrack of 16th-century music, the chance to be portrayed in the game, and a customized version for donations over $1,000. 'The Procession to Calvary' is scheduled for release in April 2019 on Windows and Mac. Other games inspired by art history include Okami (Hokusai), Ico (de Chirico), and Dishonored (Canaletto).