Key Takeaways
- Alphonse Mucha is the most AI-prompted artist on Midjourney.
- In architecture prompts, Zaha Hadid dominates with more mentions than the next six architects combined.
- Wes Anderson is the top director influencing AI-generated content.
As generative AI tools like Midjourney become mainstream for creating visual content, a fascinating question arises: whose artistic styles are AI users borrowing from the most?
To find out, Kapwing, in partnership with NeoMam Studios, analyzed the Midjourney Discord to see how many times popular artists, architects, and directors were named in close to five million user prompts. This dataset reveals which creatives are influencing the aesthetics of AI-generated images and videos today.
Here are the top names across a few different categories.
| Person | Category | Number of Midjourney Images and Videos |
|---|---|---|
| Alphonse Mucha | Artists | 230,794 |
| WLOP | Illustrators | 166,415 |
| Greg Rutkowski | Illustrators | 134,695 |
| Rembrandt | Artists | 128,143 |
| Wes Anderson | Directors | 92,378 |
| Zaha Hadid | Architects | 63,103 |
| Krenz Cushart | Illustrators | 62,408 |
| Leonardo Da Vinci | Artists | 61,259 |
| Norman Rockwell | Artists | 57,583 |
| Tim Burton | Directors | 57,000 |
Top Architects Used in Visual AI Prompts
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Alphonse Mucha, the Czech Art Nouveau painter, leads the pack with over 230,000 mentions, which is more than triple any other artist.
Mucha is followed by Rembrandt (128,143) and Leonardo da Vinci (61,259), indicating a strong user preference for foundational techniques in light, anatomy, and composition. This suggests that even in the age of AI, classical mastery remains a benchmark for aesthetic credibility and visual coherence.
Top Architects Used in Visual AI Prompts
Among architects, one name clearly stands above the rest: Zaha Hadid. Her futuristic, fluid forms have inspired over 63,000 prompts—more than the next six architects combined. Frank Lloyd Wright and Tadao Ando follow, highlighting enduring interest in organic and minimalist design philosophies.
Top Film Directors Used in Visual AI Prompts
Filmmakers are also popular choices in visual storytelling prompts. Wes Anderson leads with 92,378 prompt mentions, thanks to his distinct color palettes and symmetrical compositions. Tim Burton ranks second at 57,000, with other auteurs like Roger Deakins, Christopher Nolan, and Guillermo del Toro rounding out the top 10.
Distinctiveness Encourages Imitation
While we currently don’t know what people are prompting across all AI platforms, this Midjourney data gives us a fascinating peek at what inspires people in their own creative pursuits.
Whether it’s the ornamental elegance of Mucha, the futuristic forms of Hadid, or the stylized symmetry of Anderson, AI-generated content today draws heavily from artists with instantly recognizable and conceptually rich visual languages—regardless of era.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
Looking for more insights on how people are using AI tools like ChatGPT? See our data dive here: What do people actually use ChatGPT for?