Marcos Alberti’s “3 Glasses” project began with a joke and a few drinks with his friends.
The photo project originally depicted Alberti’s friends drinking, first immediately after work and then after one, two, and three glasses of wine.
But after Imgur user minabear circulated the story, “3 Glasses” became more than just a joke. In fact, it went viral, garnering more than 1 million views and nearly 1,800 comments in its first week. So Alberti started taking more pictures and not just of his friends.
“The first picture was taken right away when our guests (had) just arrived at the studio in order to capture the stress and the fatigue after a full day after working all day long and from also facing rush hour traffic to get here,” Alberti explained on his website. “Only then fun time and my project could begin. At the end of every glass of wine, a snapshot, nothing fancy, a face and a wall, 3 times…by the end of the third glass several smiles emerged and many stories were told.”
What the photos really capture
Why was the series so popular? Anyone who has ever had a long day at work and needed to “wine” down will quickly see why.
Take a look:
A joke that became art
What started as a lighthearted way to end a long workday turned into a photo series that resonated with millions of people who saw a little bit of themselves in it. There’s something genuinely disarming about watching stress and exhaustion melt away one glass at a time, and it’s probably why “3 Glasses” has stuck around in the internet’s memory for a decade. Sometimes the most relatable art isn’t the most polished. It’s just a face, a wall, and a little bit of honesty.
This article originally appeared ten years ago. It has been updated.
