Is there a universal definition of beauty?
Is beauty a question of perfection or an issue of harmony?
Is the ideal female body that which reflects a given age’s ideal of beauty?
Beauty has never been absolute; it has always been dependant on the historical period of a country and on the country itself.
Beauty has always been perceived differently by the media and the art world.
In fact, female charm portrayed by the Egyptians was very different from that depicted by the Greeks in the 5th century BC, or by the 19th century Romantics or by the 20th century society.
The concept of beauty has altered with time; the rounded woman, who inspired lots of artists throughout ages and stayed the ideal for many centuries, was replaced in the 20th century for it contrasted the standards suggested by the mass media.
The contemporary norms of beauty are hence forced by glossy magazines, movies and television shows. Femme fatale (the Playboy icon), the girl next door and sex kitten are few examples of (imposed) female stereotypes.
The emancipation of women as well as the sexual revolution (also known as sexual liberation of the 1960s) and rising financial freedom have all contributed to the foundation of new (contradictory) understandings of beauty.
Baz Luhrmann’s commandment in the very famous “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)” says it all: “do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.”
