Defining Beauty for Men and Women in Portraiture

This character represents the virtuous and perfect things in which society bestows upon the women of this time, giving great power to beauty and fortune. Although these charac... ... middle of paper ... ...r Gawain and the Green Knight and Lanval are distant representations of real women in this time period. Society plays an important role in stereotyping women based on their good and evil nature as well as, their actions towards men. Even though this separation might sometimes be true, it is the perfect virgin that will always be a symbol of excellence and strength. The relationship between perfection and flaw is checkered throughout history, becoming a frequent comparison in many medieval works.

The inscription said: “VIRTVTEM FOR MADECORAT”, which means “beauty adorns virtue”. Just like in Ghirlandaio’s portrait, Leonardo is suggesting and praising the importance of virtue and how closely it is connected to beauty. Even though these two portraits date from different time periods, the theme of virtue and beauty still remains present in both. It seems as Leonardo da Vinci was already familiar and looking up to Ghirlandaio, which can be thought by the method of having a reverse side of the painting. Both followed Testa’s ‘’laws’’ of the virtue and beauty a woman has to posses and both included two quotes referring this theme.

Lady Bercelak is an appealingly, stunning character, and she no doubtfully knows it. Without modest consideration, Lady Bercelak exposes her “bright throat and bosom fair to behold” (2.955). She takes pride in her appearance, and this pride represents her lust and seductiveness. Covertly behind the pretty, innocent, flush face, there is meaning to her beauty that is gradually decoded throughout the poem; these interpretations develop her crucial, in... ... middle of paper ... ...power, no one can outsmart Lady Bercelak. In conclusion, Lady Bercelak knows above all.

The factors that influenced Coco Chanel’s unraveling success were uniqueness, hard work and communicating success. Her most important influences on the fashion industry was transforming uncomfortable women clothing such as corsets to clothing that was more comfortable yet still gave a timeless appeal and ladylike appearance. Being able to create a movement of her own, Modernism and changing fashion for women, Chanel will forever be known as a remarkable fashion designer. I believe the fact that she put a woman’s worth as her main focus into creating her designs is what made consumers around the world admire her work. She knew that in the 20th century, to be elegant and fashionable meant money and a lot of it.

The white princesses are seen as having more demure and conservative dressing styles where as the colored princesses are wearing costumes that give high importance to showing off their sexuality (Lacroix, 2004). White women are portrayed as being more demure whereas the colored princesses are portrayed as being more physical and athletic. In present times, high emphasis is still being placed on white princesses and portrayal of sexual stereotypes is still seen. Beauty is often associated with depiction of a women’s sexuality. The portrayal of white and colored princesses has a significant impact of females and young girls.

Furthermore, Helen is compared to Psyche, who was turned a goddess by her beauty that infatuated Cupid. Helen’s beauty is as brilliant as the “grandeur” (10) of Rome and to compare to even Psyche. However, H.D.’s “Helen” depicts Helen as a more sinister and vile ... ... middle of paper ... ...za changes from pure emotion to an act on that emotion. The feeling is no longer a mental feeling, but an emotion that dictates them to become more physical. The tone is no longer vindictive but is very neutral; the speaker’s view of Helen has changed from disgust to solely desiring repentance.

Hawthorne portrays her as very beautiful making the reader see Hester as a poised and proud woman. This shows that Hawthorne likes Hester and wants the reader to feel that from him. Hawthorne gives Hester many of the Romantic traits. An example can be seen where her hair was described as “so glossy it threw off the sunshine with a gleam...”(46), the reader can see that Hester makes her own truth. The Romantics... ... middle of paper ... ...husetts.

Additionally, at first, he cherishes Dorian’s beauty more than he does his personality. As an artist, Basil is completely enamored by Dorian’s beauty, and he says, “what the invention of oil-painting was to the Venetians, the face of Antinous was to late Greek sculpture, and the face of Dorian Gray will some day be to me” (Wilde 12). Dorian’s beauty is greatly appreciated by Basil, and he is the one who makes Dorian realize his beauty and charms. Henry, being a part of the Victorian Society, values beauty too much. To him, beauty acts a sensory pleasure.

Daniel states this thought when he says "Chastity and Beauty, which were deadly foes." Here Daniel says that his mistress is pure, innocent, and beautiful. He is asking the reader to find a woman that perfect. There also seems to be r... ... middle of paper ... ...false compare that their love is truer than his. Shakespeare does not need to falsely compare his woman to someone divine.

Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby satires 1920’s America as a time of fame, glamour and excitement. It is a time in which women greatly influence the culture. While Fitzgerald uses women as vital characters in his novel to symbolize the beauty, status and personality behind the ideology of the American Dream, there is still a widespread idea is that a woman’s role is not to overlap a man’s role. Men primarily dominate women. Women are commonly evolving into the new mode of flappers who sport knee highs and loose fitting clothing.