Summer vacation. Those two magical words conjure up visions of white-sand beaches, of sun-kissed ocean spray, of cookouts and good friends and freedom from the cares of the day.
Except when everything goes wrong. Every once in a while, that vacation you dreamed about for months turns into an epic fiasco. And as much as you’d like to forget it, a bunch of famous painters have memorialized the pains of your failed vacation.
1. When the boss catches you on your way out the door and needs you to do just one more thing
So close. ‘The Fall of Icarus’ by Jacob Peter Gowy
2. When you’re sure you’ll be stuck in traffic the rest of your life
Every time. ‘Procession of the Magi’ by Benozzo Gozzoli
3. When the hotel doesn’t look anything like it did online
The pictures lied. This is gonna get the worst Yelp review ever. ‘The Temptation of Saint Anthony’ (left panel) by Hieronymus Bosch.
4. When it’s time to go, whether you want to or not
Fun’s over, kids. ‘The Whale Beached’ by Esaias van de Velde
5. When you take your chances on a nice cruise instead
It seemed like a good idea at the time. ‘Raft of the Medusa’ by Theodore Gericault
6. When you go snorkeling and it’s the worst idea you ever had
At least things couldn’t possible get worse. ‘Watson and the Shark’ by John Singleton Copley
7. When things, amazingly, get worse
Now this is just ridiculous. ‘The Great Wave Off Kanagawa’ by Katsushika Hokusai