Have you ever looked at old renaissance paintings of luscious women draped across a chaise and thought, wait, she looks just like me?
Beauty standards have in fact changed from century to century. What is considered “beautiful” is absolutely a reflection of society and class, and how women have to uphold the current major standards.
As an art history major, looking into the historical and cultural context of beauty standards is so impactful on working through body image struggles. Here’s a snippet from each moment in time:
Paleolithic Era (c. 30,000 BCE): The Venus of Willendorf and similar small figurines featured robust, full-figured shapes with exaggerated breasts and stomachs, representing prosperity, survival, and fertility.
Ancient Egypt (c. 1292–1069 BCE): Art from this period favored a slender, symmetric, and graceful figure with narrow shoulders, high waists, and long limbs.
Ancient Greece (c. 500–300 BCE): Figures like Aphrodite established a preference for plump, full-figured bodies with soft curves and rounded bellies, which denoted wealth and high status.
Italian Renaissance (c. 1400–1700): Masterpieces from this era celebrated ample bosoms, rounded stomachs, and full hips, reflecting nourishment and opulence.
Victorian England (c. 1837–1901): Society valued a voluptuous, full-figured look combined with an extreme, tightly corseted cinched waist.
The Roaring Twenties (c. 1920s): The "flapper" style flipped previous standards, celebrating a boyish, flat-chested, and androgynous figure that minimized curves.
Golden Age of Hollywood (c. 1930s–1950s): Icons like Marilyn Monroe popularized a voluptuous, classic hourglass shape featuring a prominent bust, rounded hips, and a slim waist.
Swinging Sixties (c. 1960s): Models like Twiggy introduced a willowy, exceptionally thin, adolescent silhouette with long, slender legs.
Supermodel Era (c. 1980s): Tall, athletic, and toned figures with broad shoulders and defined limbs took center stage.
Heroin Chic (c. 1990s): Fashion shifted toward a pale, waifish, and extremely thin androgynous aesthetic.
Postmodern and Modern Era (c. 2000s–Present): Standards merged a flat stomach and lean frame with augmented or naturally pronounced curves (large breasts and buttocks), heavily influenced by digital media and celebrity culture.
