Science Of Beauty

Guide Questions 2. What is Beauty? 3. Why is beauty important in everyday human affairs?/What is its purpose? 4. What is the history of beauty and its conceptions over the years? 5. How does science define the beautiful? 6. Can science prove/define beauty?

-the combination of qualities in the face that evoke in the perceiver, a combination of strong positive emotion and a high degree of attraction - Beauty is power; a smile is its word (Charles Reade) - Personal beauty is a greater recommendation than any letter of reference (Aristotle) - Beauty is worse than wine; it intoxicates both the holder and the beholder (Immermann)

She Walks In Beauty by George Gordon, Lord Byron (1788-1824) She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that's best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes: Thus mellow'd to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies. One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impair'd the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress, Or softly lightens o'er her face; Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow, So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent, A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent!

http://www.fleurdelis.com/shewalksinbeauty.htm

• For ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Persians, sparkling eyes were considered beautiful • A woman with a high forehead was considered beautiful during the Elizabethan era • In the court of Louis XVI, noblewomen drew blue veins onto their necks and shoulders to emphasize their exalted status ("bluebloods") • In the 16th and 17th centuries, the wealthy used belladonna eyedrops to dilate their pupils

• During

the 18th century, vermilion rouge, concocted of sulphur and mercury, achieved popularity • Corseting, popular from the 14th to 19th centuries, originally involved compressing the bosom and constricting the waist • Antiquity: rotund Venus of Willendorf • 1920s: the statuesque, leggy flappers • 1960s: the ultra-thin "Twiggy"-inspired look • 1990s: "heroin chic"

• In ancient China, the 4-inch "lotus feet" was considered a sign of perfect beauty • In some cultures (Hawaiian royalty), women voluntarily consumed or were force-fed excessive quantities of food • Today, large bust size and round, but not excessively large, posteriors are emphasized • At other times, women (with and without anorexia and bulimia), have dieted, induced vomiting, abused laxatives, and exercised excessively to lose weight

MONA LISA

MADAME RECAMIER

CLEOPATRA

HELEN OF TROY

ELIZABETH TAYLOR

• To attract a mate - procreation • To feel good and let others feel good about themselves – happiness • The beautiful is always associated with the good • Buddhism teaches that your physical appearance is a reflection of your inner self • Just like the beauty of nature, one appreciates the power of the divine in a beautiful face – a gift from God • Beauty is meant to be shared, appreciated and enjoyed

“Beauty is not found in one woman but in every woman” - Rodin “There is nothing so lovely as to be beautiful. Beauty is a gift of God and we should cherish it as such” - Madame de Sévigné “If eyes were made for seeing, then Beauty is its own excuse for being” - Ralph Waldo Emerson “Beauty is truth, truth beauty - that is all, Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know” - John Keats

nature of BEAUTY BEAUTY of nurture lashi kate

female = REPRODUCTION

reproduction = HEALTH an evolutionary perspective | BEAUTY

health = EVOLUTION OF PREFERENCE

ag e

skin complexion

body shape

hair REPRODUCTIVE CAPACITY

an evolutionary perspective | BEAUTY

SYMMETRY

an evolutionary perspective | BEAUTY

Lily Foot?

Fat Figure?

What reproductive purpose would this trait serve? culture or evolution? | BEAUTY

FATNE SS

but today...

= health = high status = prosperity

THINNES 1993: Waist-hip ratio (Dr. S? Devendra Singh)

• ratio of the circumference of the waist to that of the hips • measures the proportion by which fat is distributed around the torso

fat or thin? | BEAUTY

• a WHR of 0.7 for women and 0.9 for men have been shown to correlate strongly with general health and fertility • women within the 0.7 range have optimal levels of estrogen and are less susceptible to major diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and ovarian cancers • men with WHRs around 0.9, similarly, have been shown to be more healthy and fertile with less prostate cancer and testicular cancer

Men have been found to universally prefer the average-sized female figure, as opposed to one that is particularly thin or fat.

Waist-hip ratio .. So what? | BEAUTY

MEDIA : trend modern age! what happened?| BEAUTY

beauty = health body Beauty is the opposite of Ugliness Ugliness = unhealthy body

define ugliness| BEAUTY

Striving for beauty?

BULIMIA

ANOREXIA

Ugliness = unhealthy body| BEAUTY

...

physical birt appearance h beauty from NATURE| BEAUTY

People tend to resort to SCIENCE to meet the standards of BEAUTY...

beauty from NURTURE| BEAUTY

BEAUTY = HEALTHY BODY

Is artificial beauty beautiful ? BEAUTY science of beauty|