Description
Human beauty is a global theme in the history of art. But what does beauty consist of? The facial features of individuals are a minor contributor to art’s vision of beauty. Instead, the main factor is fashion—the ensemble of ways people have tried to live up to their cultures’ ideal of beauty. We will follow this theme of consummate importance through the Metropolitan Museum’s encyclopedic collection, from ancient Rome to tribal Congo and the Italian Renaissance through the Paris of the Belle Epoque.