Ugliness as a Requirement for Beauty
Inferno, c. 1410, Giovanni da Modena in the Church of San Petronio (Bologna, Italy). My picture is unsatisfactory so here is the photo credit: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/giovanni-da-modena
“Since ugliness is a relative concept, it may only be understood in relation to another concept. This other concept is that of Beauty: ugliness exists only because of Beauty, which is its positive premise. If there were not Beauty, there would be no ugliness, because the latter exists only as the negation of the former.”–The Aesthetics of Ugliness, 1852, Karl Rosenkranz
The title of this post is taken from a title in the book “On Beauty” by Umberto Eco who is a native of Bologna, Italy.
The majority of the book accounts the historical development of what is considered to encompass Beauty. In the short life of this blog, this is the second time the subject is about beauty. Why am I so selfish in my conquests in beauty? Is it because my work causes me to deal with the ugly parts of life such as loss, grief, and sickness? Perhaps, my pursuit of beauty through books, travels, and relationships is my pursuit to harmony?
“On Beauty” is a rather heavy book that employs philosophical writings (such as Socrates, Philolaus, and Plato) to explain what is considered beautiful during different time periods. Such beauty is reflected in paintings, sculptures, architecture, musical compositions, biological illustrations, and mathematics of the current society. If it were not for the multitude of pictures of sculptures and paintings that made me yearn to re-visit the homes of remarkable art such as Rome’s Museo Nazionale Romano, Musei Vaticani, and Galeria Borghese… then I would have probably been bored with the book due to the density of excerpts that are of ancient writing my contemporary mind can only take in small spurts.
Photo courtesy: http://www.dinesfamily.org/naples12.JPG … because I do not have this photo with me at the moment. Yet, no photo does the sculpture justice because no matter how many times I visit it at the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria (Rome), Bernini’s “Ecstasy of St. Theresa” always takes my breath away with it’s dramatic intensity.
What is more beautiful than the light, although colorless in itself, that none the less brings out the color in all things, by illuminating them?
—Color as the Cause of Beauty by Hugh of Saint Victor – 12th century.
Adding some touches of beauty myself
As a female traveler, I cannot help but observe the differences in perspective of beauty that span various cultures of today.
When I was in Japan 4 months ago, I not only had a bit of fun seeing things like this on vending machines:
Tommy Lee Jones is Boss
or this in a Shibuya bookstore:
But I got a kick out of visiting Tokyu Hands to see what trends in beauty were being sold. Here are some pictures of masks to keep the skin young or tape to put on eyelids to give eyes a more “Western” look:
Visiting friends here in Southern California, I have noticed certain ideas on what is considered feminine beauty. Recently, one of my friends underwent an expensive facial procedure to tuck her eyelids in order to look more “awake”. I hope this is not a trend my friends are following due to popular tele shows such as “The Real Wives of Orange County”.
Once, I was talking to some of my Korean friends while admiring the pictures (because I cannot read Korean) of one of their magazines full of Korean celebrities and models. It was then I was informed that in Korea it is very popular to get plastic surgery and that the country benefits from medical tourism because the talents of plastic surgeons in Korea surpass those in the United States.
Tanning is a dissimilarity between cultures. I grew up in California and Hawaii where tanning in the beaches (or tanning salons or via airbrushing) remains to be popular. Whereas, during travels to certain parts of Asia, I am bombarded with media and beauty products promoting the whitening of skin.
Lastly, in Europe, I find it nice that women who do not possess the “model-type” of body are confident enough to walk the shore in a tiny bikini. Perhaps because people are more intent in enjoying a day out instead of criticizing other people’s bodies?
The book “On Beauty” included writings by Plotinus (3rd century) in Enneads, Volume 8, in which inner beauty was described:
- “In truth there is no beauty more authentic than the wisdom we find and love in some individual. We should leave aside his face, which may be ugly, nor should we pay any heed to his appearance, but look for his inner beauty.”
- “How much nicer it is to see a woman who obviously has nothing on her face, neither white nor red, but just her natural color…white teeth are good to see in a woman, for since they are not in plain view as the face is, but are most often concealed, one may think she spends less time making them white…for all men presume that cleanliness and a close fit, in such a secret place and one so seldom seen, must be natural and proper to that woman and shows that she is not seeking any kind of approval. “
David Hume wrote it best in 1757, Of the Standard of Taste: “Beauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in the mind which contemplates them; and each mind perceives a different beauty…Every individual ought to acquiesce in his own sentiment, without pretending to regulate those of others.”
Vladimir Nabokov and Véra Nabokov hunting for butterflies. Photo credit: http://rbth.ru/assets/images/2011-06/Big/468-Nabokov-1.jpg
For my next blog post I will write of another Beauty of life—L O V E. When in a bookstore called “Fahrenheit 451” (Ray Bradbury passed away recently), I found a book called “Véra”. Truthfully, I committed the “sin” of judging a book by its cover. At first glance, the name “Véra” caught my eye because I thought it was an elegant name for a woman. What sealed the purchase was to read the synopsis of the biography of the wife, and ultimate inspiration, of Vladimir Nabokov, author of the book Lolita, which is still sitting unread on my desk.
So right! Asia’s perception of beauty is very often shaped by large amounts of beauty product advertisements.
I believe the beauty practices of women are largely influenced by beauty ads in any part of the world. It is why the beauty industry is so lucrative. I think that looking “one’s best” for other eyes to see is a way to feel confident in the world, but women should not forget to nourish their inner beauty.
Definitely right. Unfortunately even as women think that way, some men don’t … for them, it all begins with external appearances first, hence we have ladies over-focusing on their external beauty over inner beauty just like you’ve said above.
In Asia, to be white is better..They even have where they inject skin whitening in your skin! Great post..
Hi! I’m Asian & I have to agree with you though, ‘am really not one of those sucker for glutathione. While there are a lot here who wants to be fairer, triggered & as evidenced by dozens of whitening products’ ads flooding every tv channel, there is still a large number of us who love our own skin 🙂 ‘Just sayin… 🙂
Oh, the stories and experiences I have heard from friends in Asia and during my travels to visit parts of Asia! I think it is a bit humorous that it is a trend in Asia to do things the “Western way”, yet in regards to skin color…the trend in Asia is to do the exact opposite of the “Western way”…which is to have a nice tan. I think beauty shines no matter what skin your color is.
Agree! 🙂
great post!
Thank you very much for visiting!
Ah… awesome art post as always 🙂
Many thanks…it is always nice to share beautiful art and words!
Great post! So much here to think about…
Thank you for visiting! Happy to spark some thoughts about the subject.
What an amazing photo… WoW! Yes, yes, we need ugliness to appreciate beauty. 😉
Yes, the contrast of ugly is a reference point for what can be considered beautiful … And vice versa.
excellent post! you’ve made me want to read umberto eco- I have one of his books unfinished right now on a mound of others- also, Bernini’s sculpture enthralled me when I first saw it in person- so much so I vowed to be an artist who threw myself into my work whole-heartedly as he did- I have since forgotten and now again pick up my motivation!– but did you hear about how he placed his fingers into a flame for an extended period of time in order to sculpt a person’s face (in this case his own) in pain properly ?? Fascinating- perhaps beauty is really just a quest to never giving up the search for truth?
Many thanks for visiting! Wow, that is an interesting fact about Bernini, it is amazing to know what some artists’ will do to feed their passion!
funny to say, i guess i have both features. i am too short and tanned to be considered beautiful in Asia, yet too cutely small and sexily brown to be called ugly in the US 😉 yes, you are so right about how relative both concepts are. i always have something, learn something, and feel smarter after reading your posts 🙂 thanks
Your comment made me laugh a little 😀
Many thanks for the compliment about the blog. As i’ve written before my goal with this blog is to show readers a little bit tomorrow what they did not see today!
What a wonderful topic to explore. And wonderful pictures.
Happy that you enjoyed this post! 🙂
Great post!!
Many thanks for stopping by =)
Your welcome 😉
Interesting topic and post. I think that beauty is associated with nature. As for thousands years we have been evolving by our environment and the nature, the standards of aesthetics have been shaped by the nature as well. That means that the red painted lips for instance are associated with the natural colour of the lips at their best (in terms of health, sexuality etc). When however, the beauty “enhancement” covers “nature” instead of revealing and strengthening it, then the result can be negative; and that balance is very sensitive. That is why, external beauty often ends up to be a quality of the soul rather than a physical quality; because it relies on the soul and its “aesthetical” intelligence to be validated.
Very impressive comment! Beauty if very much associated in nature — and the book makes this distinction as well. However, the book refers to nature as what Mother Earth offers us. I like how you are referring to the nature of the “human being” in this case. I agree with you. When women try to “paint” rouge on their lips or blush on their cheeks…it is to simulate an aesthetic nature of a woman.
Another excellent and interesting post! You know what I’ve found so strange here in New Mexico? The Oil of Olay anti aging products at our “neighborhood” store is kept locked up inside a glass cage!
I’ve never spent much time thinking about ‘girly’ things or worrying about aging and I’ve never spent much time ‘chit chatting’ with girlfriends about such things. But I’m having to do a lot of research for my novel and … wow! … talk about interesting! 😉 Thank you for sharing your insights. 😀 I always enjoy your site 😉
I find it strange that those products are locked up…maybe because of the poor economy? I vaguely remembered an article about how the pursuit of beauty products increases during times of a bad economy….Anyways, I’m not one to constantly talk about beauty products because I have the same skincare regimen since I turned 14
That sounds like an interesting article! I should see if I can find any info about that.
And now you have me curious about your skincare regimen. Did your mother pass along her secrets?
Well, learning from my mother and her mother, I have always learned to take care of one’s skin even at an early age to keep looking an early age throughout the years. The advice works so far because my grandmother is 90 who looks like she’s 70 and my mother keeps getting compliments that she looks 30 even though she is 57 years old. Anyways, my skincare advice: Sunscreen, Sleep, and wear no makeup.
I had a feeling… 😉 I wish I’d followed my mother’s lead. She had perfect skin and when she was in her 50s she looked like she was in her 30s until the year she became ill and passed away at 55. Didn’t even gray until that year. But her secret was that she hadn’t used water on her face since she was 30 and she stayed out of the sun. I used to fry with baby oil!!! YIKES!
(Now look at us sharing beauty “secrets” 😉 )
Good post! I have often found striking differences between how the different cultures or societies perceive beauty. eBut, I also think that they way they express it depends quite a bit on the materials available and on their skill set. Here´s me comparing the great Bernini and the ancient Egyptians.
Yes, definitely another factor that goes into a time period’s overall perception of beauty is what type of materials are available for its creators. In their own ways, each society or culture produces something to be admired as beautiful. It takes an open mind to observe.
Fascinating thoughts rounded out with a an equally compelling quote from Hume.
As with any aspect of life, Hume suggests we are allowed the freedom to have our own opinion without forcing our opinions on others.
There was a time in Europe when “full bodied” women were considered attractive. Men in Uganda prefer fat women today.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/comfort-cravings/201004/fat-is-beautiful
I wrote about Indians and their desire for white skin a few weeks ago. Maybe people see the beauty in other people before we see the beauty in ourselves.
Thank you for the interesting fact about Uganda. As a young woman, my mother used to struggle gaining weight in order to fit the full bodied physique preferred in the United States during her time. You stated it nicely that people see beauty in others before noticing their own beauty within.
living in China, I can assure you that what we see as beautiful, is considered far from it here. A very interesting and thought provoking post as usual. I was just explaining a few days ago to my small daughter that good cannot exist without bad, otherwise how would we know it was good. Very interesting living on the planet of duality 🙂
Agreed…without something to compare and contrast then one cannot define if something is ugly or beautiful — good or evil, etc. Life provides no ideal standard and I suppose this provides each individual with the freedom to have their own opinion.
like Chinese Ying-Yang theory…. if we want to have the whole piece… we need to accept the other parts we are not interested or even dislike… ( F, it leads me thinking of relationship part lol)
We now live in a very superficial world that one’s beauty, even popularity is based on the exterior. The media has bombarded all of us with “what is beautiful” that most of us already believe that it is. Why people go crazy over celebrities, models, being thin, buying the latest “fad” gadget and other expensive stuff just to feel that we are “in” and that somehow feel good about ourselves is truly sad. To be honest, every now and day, I slip and get blinded. But I always try to remember the wide words of my elders, “beauty is in the heart and soul of a person.” You could look like Adonis or Athena but if your heart and attitude stinks like a decaying object…soon enough, people will run away. Whew! Great post!
Beautifully written and deep thinking type of comment! This world can be so full of narcissism it is sickening that the beauty of one’s character can go unnoticed because too many are trying to be the reflection of the beauty ads decorating our sights. Your words reminded me of a movie I saw years ago called “Shallow Hal” that did give that simple lesson that beauty is found in the soul of a person.
I meant , the wise words..
“Wide” or “Wise” words…the scope of the advice from one’s elders can be described by either I suppose 😉
i love your analysis on Beauty, but well as long as the subject is lovely to the eyes the it is beautiful, thus beauty is in the beholder right? ^_^
I’ve read about the “Ecstasy of St. Theresa in a novel, and i was like ‘really?’ Innocence lost.
I love your picture there wearing the traditional kimono, so lovely and you were glowing. ^_^
Much more than the novel, the art of “Ecstasy of St. Theresa” is a sight to see even among the bombardment of beauty that Italy offers every day in food, art, architecture, etc — well these are other posts I could write in the future. As for the compliment on my kimono picture — I’m my cheeks are blushing more than the pink color of my blog, hehe — Many thanks!
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Really enjoyed this very insightful, thoughtful post, Frances! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
anne
Dear Anne, many thanks for reading this post, it is always a pleasure to share some art — “ugly” or “beautiful” — with others.
Such a cool post! I’ve never thought about ugliness existing because of beauty…I like that 🙂 Cheers!
Thanks for the compliment! Yes, without contrasts in life such as good and bad, untasty and delicious…etc it would be hard to define what certain things mean to ourselves.
What a collection of fantastic quotes. So much to think about in this post. Inspiring, thank you.
Yes, this book was heavy in it’s quotes — a lot of them from ancient writers. I have to admit, some it was a bit of a bore, but the art littered among the quotes kept me from stopping this read.
I saw the book by Eco, but haven’t dared buying it yet 🙂 Great post!
I remember when I was in Japan trying to buy something and my friend’s mum said: “Oh, you could choose anything you like, as you are so white that everything looks good on you!” That was really funny, as I am usually teased for that same reason. Not that I care, I don’t like lying in the sun, so I only get tanned from walking, or doing some other activity in the sun, and I am not really that crazy about it anyway.
Well, for this particular book, I found it for the wonderful price of FREE at the public library. A previous reader before me must have enjoyed it so much that they tore and cut pieces of the book out (such a big NO NO!). No matter what skin color, height, etc , I think there lies some beautiful part in each person … partly because opinions on beauty differ with each individual. I hope you had a fabulous time in Japan — I never get tired of visiting that country =)
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Thanks
So much of how a woman perceives beauty is defined by what society she lives in. But at the same time, beauty can be how a woman defines it herself. If so, the result is a mix (though not necessarily proportional) of both society’s influence (international or not) and her own individual style.
Wonderful, wonderful post!
Frances, you have written an absolutely beautiful post here! As an Asian myself living in a society with an unrealistic idea of beauty, I found this article to be comforting.
I bet it was shocking for you to see all those ‘tools’ that companies influenced women to buy in order to look gorgeous and I honestly feel bad that they actually give in to it. Exploiting a woman’s self-esteem about her appearance is pure evil, to be honest. As it is, we’re going through enough insecurities thinking our boyfriends are more interested in a chick with short-shorts on, and here are these companies giving a ‘solution’ to it.
I know I’m not the prettiest, or the most fit girl in the world, but I would not go under the knife to change my ridiculously flat nose. LOL
But I might consider liposuction and transfer the fats to my butt to even out it’s radius ala Kim Kardashian. Bahahahaha.
Yes, I definitely was in wonderment over the different beauty products marketed in Asia. Every time I go back, I like to peruse the pharmacies and department stores to look at the different products. There is no “magic” product that will cause a women to be eternally beautiful. I just watched a movie called “The Countess” in which the main character bathed in blood thinking it kept your young. “Time has no respect for beauty”
I was born into a family (my father’s side) who were all beautiful. My mother’s side looked like cocker spaniels. My philosophy, one which I teach my kids, is that you are beautiful. Now lets get onto other matters that are more important.
There’s a principle in physics that says you can’t accurately measure the system if you’re a part of the system. This applies to Beauty. Thanks for your scholarly essay and interesting photos.
In regards to this science, physicist Richard Feynman mentioned that even though he is part of the patterns he still pursues knowing about them. I suppose Beauty will always be a subject attempted for measurement.
A very interesting blog with great pics, too. Great stuff!
Thank you for visiting my blog — and an older post at that. I enjoy it when readers admire my older posts because it prompts me to go back to that post and to reminisce on the subject.
I really enjoyed this post. So you are also a lover of beauty…in its many forms. Shows in your post. On a side note, but related…I have never seen an ugly sculpture by Bernini…he was quite a sculptor.
Thank you for visiting my beauty post…I like to attribute my aesthetic preferences to the fact that I am a Libra, hehe.
I don’t really believe in horoscopes and so on, but when I read the general description I can’t believe how accurate it is….don’t know what Libra’s are classified as…but I assume lovers of beauty.
Hume was right about lots of stuff, and elegantly sarcastic in his Scottish way. I admire Vladimir Nabokov’s bermuda shorts and knee-high socks in your photo. That is definitely the correct attire for butterfly catching.
Hehe…I suppose Nabokov is poetic in his writings, but maybe not so harmonious in his fashion sense.
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yes ugly and “afraid of” are related…I share your terror of spiders.
I’ve set a link to your interesting article at
Thank you!
This is a really quality post. Great stuff.
It’s intriguing because I believe beauty can exist without ugliness. Beauty just is. You don’t need to line it up alongside ugliness to see that. It just is.
That top picture is so gross foul ugly!!
Yes, the top picture does catch one’s attention :). Thank you for reading my essay on beauty!
It’s going to be end of mine day, however before ending I am reading this fantastic piece of
writing to improve my experience.