beauty of women in Western, black, and

ancient Greek cultures

Anna Prohaska & Sharon David

DisclaimerIn today’s society, beauty is very well documented with words, pictures, and

subtitles under those pictures. The Greeks did not do the same. Much of what is defined as beautiful comes from statues, paintings, and

jars from that time period, as well as literature and other scholarly conclusions.

Why women?This project will look solely at the female

gender, rather than looking to define beauty in both men and women. This partly stems from our research. In ancient Greek culture, beauty was a quality seen through goddesses, including Aphrodite (goddess of beauty, love, and sex), Aglaea (one of the Kharites [goddesses of graces] and goddess of beauty), and Psyche (goddess of soul, said to rival Aphrodite in beauty, and wife of Eros, Aphrodite's son). While there are mentions of beauty in young men, the definition frequently turns to women. In addition, women serve as the target of modern beautification businesses, especially through the features that we will explore here.

Therefore, for the ease of this project, our focus will remain on women.

What are the attractive features of a woman?

plastic surgery website

-hair -face

-skin tone -figure

-adornment

Greek bronze mirror

Each of these characteristics contributes to the overall assertion of a woman as “beautiful.” While these traits are not absolute for all women, they help to sketch an objective view of a beautiful woman.

Western hair

pantene.com

African-American

Hair

pantene.com

alluringlooks.com

Greek hair

Drinking cup

HairIn Western tradition much focus is put on men and women’s hair.

As is heard in many advertisements, it is important to have soft, silky, and well styled hair. In most women’s fashion magazines, it is a primary focus. It does not matter whether your hair is curly, straight, or wavy, but it should be soft and silky. Western women have also latched on quite tightly to the idea of highlights to make their hair look more naturally sun-kissed (more will be discussed in the skin section).

There is a Westernized black image for beautiful just as there is one for white women. In Chapter Two of the book Ain’t I a Beauty Queen, it discusses this issue of black women’s hair being kinky: “Adult women and older girls straightened their hair.” This was considered essential in the 1950s. Today, it is more acceptable for women not to straighten their hair, but it is still a normal practice.

Greek women in most of the statues and paintings wore their hair up. Their hair was always long and curly; it was only ever shortened when the woman was in mourning.

Western facialstructur

e

Maybelline advertisement

photo of a high school senior

African-

American

facial structu

re

Brandy Norwood

Jill Marie Jones

Venus de Milo

Head of Athena

Greek facial

structure

FaceThe Western ideal face has a straight nose, high cheek bones, small

lips, and straight teeth. Some women will go to great lengths to achieve this proper facial structure, whether by orthodonture and other dentistry or even more drastic measures, such as plastic surgery. Many women also put on makeup every day to accent their good features as well as hide their unpleasant ones.

The black idea of a beautiful face is full lips. Makeup practice is similar to that of Western women; the only difference lies in the coloring (obviously due to the difference in skin color).

The Greek idea of a beautiful face appears similar to the Western concept, most likely due to the descendence of Western culture from the Greeks. Those who could afford makeup often wore blushes, lip rouge, and other basics, though it was not a necessity for a beautiful face (see Greek adornment).

Consistently, each society values a symmetric face without blemish.

Tanning salon advertisement

Western skin tone

TanTowel® advertisement

“If you want to look healthier, thinner, toner and just more beautiful try TanTowel®.”-http://www.simplykaren.com/Tan-Towel.htm

Maybelline advertisement

African-American skin tone

Gabrielle Union

Greek skin tone

Skin toneIt is a universal standard in Western, Black, and Greek

society; clear, smooth skin is attractive.

The Western culture seeks to defy the blandness of pale skin and reach for the “sexier” look of the tanned body. Women will visit tanning salons regularly or use other products, such as sprays, lotions, or other artificial methods in an attempt to hide their natural skin color.

While there was a standard that lighter skin was more beautiful in a black woman, we see a more universal acceptance of all shades these days.

The Greeks, in contrast, valued a pale complexion, as it portrayed the woman as delicate and pure. Often, it also meant the woman was well-to-do, as she would not have to work outside in the sun for great lengths of time.

Shawn Rene Zimmerman

Western woman's ideal figure

African-American woman's ideal figure

Greek woman's portrayed figureStatues of three Greek girls Incomplete statue of Aphrodite

FigureThe western idea for a perfect figure has changed over

the years; however, the modern woman seeks to be thin and fit. Any interruption to flat skin is seen as unattractive.

Black women hold a middle ground in this regard. While many want to fit into the Western standard of a slim body, it is more acceptable to be a healthy weight than to be slender.

This is not the case in Greek culture. A woman who is beautiful has defined curves and, as we can see on the statues, even a few noticeable rolls. This was important in ancient Greece because it showed that a woman was capable of bearing children.

Western

adornment

all images from tiffany.com

African-American adornmen

t

babieluv.com

Bakkhos watched the girl’s sweet neck, her ankles as she walked, beauty which nature had given her, the beauty which nature had made: for no ruddy ornament for the skin had Beroe smeared on her round rosy face, no meretricious rouge put a false blush on her cheeks. She consulted no shining mirror of bronze with its reflection a witness to her looks, she laughed at no lifeless form of a mimic face to estimate her beauty, she was not for ever arranging the curls over her brows, and setting in place some stray wandering lock of hair by her eyebrows with cunning touch. But the natural beauties of a face confound the desperate lover with a sharp sting, and the untidy tresses of an unbedizened head are all the more dainty, when they stray unbraided down the sides of a snow-white face.-Nonnus, Dionysiaca 42.1 (on Beroe, a nymph)

“For she was clad in a robe out-shining the brightness of fire, a splendid robe of gold, enriched with all manner of needlework, which shimmered like the moon over her tender breasts, a marvel to see. Also she wore twisted brooches and shining earrings in the form of flowers; and round her soft throat were lovely necklaces ...” -Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite

Greek adornment

metmuseum.org

AdornmentModern Western adornment shows status and class. While not a necessity for beauty, it is used to accent a woman's features. Western jewelry tends to be classy, and the beauty is largely dependent on the shine of the gems.

The tendencies in the African-American culture are similar to the preferences in modern Western culture, although women may prefer to wear jewelry that speaks to their African heritage. Generally, the jewelry worn by black women is larger than that of white women.

Beauty in a Greek woman was often defined by her accessories as well as her looks. Gold was thought to be a beautiful adornment worn to enhance an already attractive face. However, like other cultures, it was not a necessity.

ConclusionWestern culture has made a vibrant business out of selling beauty to women. Through hair products, tanning, fitness guidance, and even surgeries, women are leaping at the chance to look like an ideal figure. While not all women are compelled by this standard, the concepts of the perfectly thin body, the smooth, elegant face, and the soft, shiny hair remain as goals for many.

Black women have somewhat acclimated to the Western standard of beauty in this day, though they retain an alliance to their own unique features. The unfrazzled, dignified woman remains as an ideal, and those qualities are augmented through the physical features.

Whether by culture or technology, the Greek view on beauty was much simpler. Even, symmetrical features were the ideal in a woman. However, even they were not exempt from the desire to make themselves more beautiful through cosmetic methods.

Across the cultures, we can see that the beauty of a woman simultaneously defines and is defined by the woman. As Craig noted, “A woman who put time and money into her appearance was dignified.” It is not only the significance of physical attraction that makes beauty such an ideal; it is also the power a woman wields through beautiful features.

Works Cited

Richter, Gisela. "The Sculpture and sculptors of the Greeks." Yale University Press: U.S., 1930. images 668 Aphrodite of Knidos 669 Torso of Aphrodite 671 Head of Aphrodite

Carpenter, Rhys. Greek Sculpture. The University of Chicago Press: Chicago 1960. image Medici Venus and New York Replica image Aphrodite form Cyrene

http://www.theoi.com – articles on Aphrodite, Aglaia, Psyche, Beroe

– images of Aphrodite