Random Thoughts on Beauty

[poliphilo]

The Greeks fixed our standards of what is beautiful. There is a certain blandness about the Greek ideal. Everything is standardised.

In recent times the Greek ideals have appealed mainly to totalitarian regimes.

The Romans were the first people to practice portraiture. When I pass from the Greek to the Roman galleries and see all those quirky and ugly faces I feel like I am coming home.

Beauty is in denial.

"Beauty is truth", but the truth is ugly, so ugliness is beauty.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Addendum: the Archaic Greeks started out trying to be as good as the Egyptians. That's the source of their idea that standardisation equalled sophistication.

In carving marble, mistakes are permanent, so much care must be taken to observe the rules.

Most Greek sculpture was in bronze, a far livelier medium, but it's gone the way of all metal.

The Romans were richer, and lived long enough to develop those quirks. In recording them they were simply emulating the Hellenistic Greeks, who really started it all rolling.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Let's hear it for the Hellenistic Greeks- who I've always considered under-rated.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

"Ah but in such an ugly time the true protest is beauty" Phil Ochs)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Beauty is conferred by the viewer I think.

If I am arguing for anything it is for my belief that beauty can be found in the most unlikely places.

[mazzie.livejournal.com]

"Beauty is the mark God sets on virtue."
-Ralph Waldo Emmerson

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Virtue is beautiful- but beauty isn't necessarily virtuous....