Ideals of Beauty

         
                    Something that we discussed in class recently got me thinking about the discrepancies between society hundreds of years ago and today. When we were learning about the pilgrim's move to Jamestown, we learned that a few women would come over to marry the men and start families with them. As the girls were getting off the boat, the men had their pick of which one they would want to marry. Our classes first thoughts were that attractiveness by today's standards would be the major factor in the men's decision. However, we learned that the first women that were chosen were the largest ones. This is because the bigger you were, the healthier you were considered. Men wanted to marry a woman that was bigger and healthy, meaning that she could survive a long winter and have many children.

              As strange as it sounds in today's society of rail thin models, bigger actually was considered more beautiful. Above is a painting called The Three Graces from the 17th century. Many paintings of women from this era and beyond had a similar, larger body type. They way in which these women are painted, as well as calling them "graces" shows that this was the epitome of beauty. Being large was admired because it was a sign of status. It showed that you were rich enough to afford good food and other luxuries, and that you didn't have to work. This is in stark contrast with the stick thin figure that many women of today strive to be. Why do you think society had evolved in this way? What factors do you think cause beauty ideals to change?