Lovelyish

I don’t think the airbrushed versions are super skinny or anything. In fact I think they look pretty healthy except for some weird proportions because they’re altered images. 

Honestly, this doesn’t speak to me in any way. Maybe it’s because I’ve actually studied some of these pieces, but I understand that trends change, usually every few decades or centuries. So you will be able to find some paintings and sculptures in which female bodies were represented as slim and without fat bulges. I believe this was during the Romantic period, although I am not 100% certain on that – it’s been about a year since I last took my last art history course. In a few decades or centuries from now, we could very well see a switch in what an idealized woman looks like, and then maybe people will be photoshopping in added fat to make the exact same statement that this is trying to make.

How about talking about sculptures and paintings of men? A lot of these were often idealized to show the “perfect” male figure. Why are statements like these only made for women? It’s not like women are being the only ones idealized here.

Point of my comment: stop thinking about what the current idealized notions of the human figure are. Strive to be healthy and to live a healthy lifestyle. The main reason the media can influence our opinions on our bodies is because we let them. 

Also.. they’re “only cheeky” post-edit now because of the way we view the human figure. When these were originally painted, many would have been viewed as “cheeky” just as they were. But then again, they were also not really focused on making a social commentary on the form of the body – that was simply a reflection of what was “in” at the time. Looking at Titian’s work for example, there was more of an issue being made about the fact that he was using prostitutes as his models, not on their body frames. I’m sure that if there are cultures right now that idealize a larger frame in favour of a slender frame, both versions would be considered just as raunchy if they were bothered by naked figures. 

Most of them are still curvy, just smaller. Size does not equal curvaceousness. In fact, some of the larger figures aren’t curvy at all. Curves are not a size, they’re a shape.  

they didn’t idolize curvy/larger women.  they were motivated to portray the human body as realistically as possible.  

@too_pretty_to_die@xanga - In a lot of cases the human body was painted and sculpted in a more idealized fashion actually, even if just somewhat. Not exactly of the time frame, but one example would be during paleolithic times they would often sculpt women to be quite large, as it was idealizing their frame to demonstrate fertility. In some of these the bodies are not simply representing what the artist saw, since some artists didn’t even represent proportions correctly. I believe that the 3rd (the name and artist escape me, although I do want to say that he was a Mannerist painter) painted the figures more elongated than they actually are supposed to be, and you can clearly see that one of the figures has the face of a baby/child and the body of at least a teenager. Some are not even given completely distinguishable sexes. 

Yes, in some cases complete realism was employed, but in a lot of pieces during the Renaissance and anything that has more of a classicized feel to it there will be some amount of idealizing of the bodies — not just female. Which is why, like I mentioned, in other periods where a slimmer figure was more “in style” the painters would often refrain from painting larger female bodies, although clearly there would have been heavier women just as there are heavier and slimmer women today. 

@Murphy_Rants@xanga - Gah, exactly! I spoke about that in my comment in the Adele Vogue post. I haven’t checked back, as I’m almost afraid to see if people got bitchy with me for saying she’s just heavy more so than curvy. 

Calling the images jarring is only a bit of an exaggeration.  The paintings depict slender curvy women after airbrushing.  None of them have bones popping out, sunken stomachs or anything else to indicate that they are now thin to the point of starvation.

I agree with AshleyNicole.  There have always been “trends” in how the idealized woman should look.  This is not the first time “frail and thin” women were seen as ideal.  During the Victorian age women did whatever they could to whittle their waists to 18 inches even if it meant breaking ribs add passing out.  Women have been objectified whether they are expected to be curvy (read euphemism for  fat) or skinny (OMG she’s dying get her a sammich).   Each woman should set her own standards and strive to be healthy.  As long as women keep falling prey to what the media/society feels our bodies should be we will continue to be objectified.

I wish people wouldn’t do stuff like this, to prove a point or otherwise.  Let’s leave historical works of art as they are and study them for what they are.

I’m really enjoying this concept. It is jarring, for sure.
The original works show women that are highly idealized. Just try to strike a pose like Botticelli’s Venus – it’s anatomically impossible. But he painted her to flow with the rest of the picture, not to show us a perfect bone structure. She is a goddess after all, and was painted with an emphasis on a perfect model of femininity.
In addition, many of the works at the time were commissioned, meaning the artist needed to make the model perfect, ideal, and overly beautiful! No one is going to like an ugly painting of their beloved new wife.

None of the women in these paintings were altered that greatly; none of them look unhealthy, just thinner. And frankly, what’s wrong with that? If there aren’t ribs popping out, eyeballs sinking in, nails yellowing, and hair falling out, who’s to say a slender person is categorically malnourished? A bit of a ridiculous and insulting assumption.

Perceptions of beauty change, which is why Rubens painted fat women, and today we worship slender figures. Fat used to be a symbol of status, proof that your family / husband could feed you to excess. Now that the greasiest, unhealthiest food is also the cheapest, skinny is a symbol of status because it shows that you have the leisure/means to stay fit and eat higher quality food.

what i wonder is, if in those times, did skinny women complain that heavier women were more desired?

I prefer the original in all of these, but that’s probably just because I love art.

Next up on photoshop: Presidential portraits. 
Because history must be sexier.

Why would people want to photoshop these works of art?  They’re already beautiful the way they are.

@eatdrinkandbemaryy@xanga - Just from reading various period literature, it sounded like it was mostly an issue of “I look like a boy because my bosom and hips are too small, woo is me, I don’t look like I can bear many sons”.

@Digital_Angel21 – welp I complain about that now too. Hahahah.

I agree with most comments above about how paintings only reflect trends just like our current tv reflect our trends. So all I can say now is: dang, I would’ve been the hottest girl if I was born in that era (where belly fat and curvy hips were in fashion)!

I just dont understand why weight is such an issue anymore…If your happy the way you are, and your not hurting anyone else (being thick or thin) then let people be. If your that self conscious about yourself that you let media, and other people portray how you should look then thats your problem. Everyone just needs to start looking at people at their emotions….Next time you see a person that might be a bit on the heaver side look at them are they smiling? are they having a good time with whatever their doing? then hell maybe that means they are happy with themselves….I am not fat, i am not thin, i eat 3 meals a day sometimes filled with the food groups sometimes horrible for your heart but i am happy with who i am….i work retail and exercise…my body frame would not be able to handle me if i looked like a stick….im just so sick of people looking at others and saying “Oh shes fat she must be an emotional eater” or “oh shes thin she must have a low self esteem and not eat.” as a society we need to just let people be people.

That’s terrible! Leave classical artwork alone! It isn’t anyones to destroy . . . How sad this is . . .

Now they’re adding even more pressure to girls these days to be skinny.

Outside of eco-friendly, I guess being natural in this world is just not allowed. Sure the new, airbrushed models may look more toned, but if that’s what the artists wanted, they would have done that. Another point away from us thick girls. *sigh*

@meta_k@xanga - agreed. 

FUCK. YOU. I love all those paintings and this is some bullshit. LAY OFF THE AIRBRUSH.

The airbrushed women look like me and I am healthy and fine: you’re making a big deal out of nothing!

*sigh*  Why can’t we just appreciate the Natural beauty in people?? Afterall, that’s how it was back then! Wtf has happened to the world?? Jesus, I’d hate to see what they did to one of My pictures. I’ve got pretty wide hips, and some belly fat from having a child. But ya know… I’m HAPPY with how I look. I don’t need to be “modified” to make Other people feel better about how I look. I’m perfectly content with it. Fuck anyone who thinks otherwise, just cause I’m Not paper thin! Besides, I think curves and hips are Sexy, dammit. SEXY!!! And then people wonder why so many women develop eating disorders… hello??? Stop telling us we’re fat, just cause we have some fucking curves to us!!! Sheesh! 

Ridiculous. You can obviously tell in every alteration, the waist shrinks, breasts are further outlined, darkened, or enhanced, and the arms and legs shrink significantly in size. I understand sex appeal, and there are millions of women in this country that will show you contemporary sex appeal. But to mess around with old paintings? That’s low. Even if it is Vogue.

I care less about whatever this was supposed to achieve and more about the gross alteration of some fine paintings. Alter VENUS will you?! The utter shame.

This post is fucking stupid. All women are beautiful, big, skinny, whatever. Its people like you that make others second guess themselves. Go fuck yourself, and thats for anyone else that posts stupid “skinny” slamming bull shit. Thanks.

I’m not going to insult your post because I don’t think that it is necessary in order to express my disagreement.

However, I’m appalled that people would tamper with anyone’s art. Nothing is more beautiful than the natural imperfections of a painting because it reflects upon our humanity. I don’t agree with our current culture’s obssession with a “perfect” body, and I certainly don’t agree with the altering of these materpieces.

As a history teacher – both of Art and Social Studies – HECK, lets just photo shop all of history. They are doing it now anyway. Slavery never happen, Hitler was a nice guy, and Noah never learned to sail.