The Roman Nose

I am reading a book that I found in my apartment on the first week in Italy. It is entitled Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter. The incorrect grammar in the title should have been a warning against this text, but my love for Jane Austen prevailed and I started reading it. So far the book is absolutely awful to the point of being hilarious. But that is not the reason for mentioning that. The author was describing the character of Mr. Darcy and one of the top characteristics that he had was a roman nose. Reading that, I got to thinking about how that is still an ideal look for today’s culture. The male form has been ideally muscular and strong since the Greek and Roman times. The masters of the Renaissance mirrored this appreciation in their art work as well. For example, Michelangelo’s David is much more appreciated and widely known than Donatello’s David. I think this has to do with the aesthetics of the piece. The form is more appealing because it fits the standards of the ideal form. As I was thinking about how the ideal male form has stayed primarily stagnant throughout history I started to consider the ideal female form. I realized that it has going through stages of shape and color. It seems as if a woman did not have to be rail thin in the Greek and Roman time. Most of the sculptures portray women as being fit and in decent shape. Some sculptures have the women with larger hips and stomach to show that they would be ideal mothers. In the ancient civilizations, the women were revered and worshiped because they thought they had god-like powers. It is widely accepted that they considered women the higher being because they were able to bleed and not die. In the Middle Ages and later the ideal woman was pale and heavy-set. It showed that they had money because they were able to stay indoors all day and not burn their delicate skin. Heavier women were attractive because it meant that they were able to have fattening foods on their tables (again associated with social standing). Now the ideal woman is the size of a stick and is usually darker in skin tone. As I pondered this change of standards throughout history I realized why the masculine ideal never changed. It also has to deal with social standing. The man is supposed to be the protector of the town/household/etc. The fact that they are well endowed with muscles and strength shows the capabilities of that man for that duty. We are still able to appreciate these artworks because they are still the epitome of attractiveness and perfection.



Woman of Willendorf circa 23000 BCE








Venus De Milo circa 120 BCE

 
 



Titian's Venus of Urbino circa 1538