To further illustrate idealization and the lack of it, I have chosen two contrasting examples separated by time, culture, medium, approach and gender.
This bronze statue of a Grecian athlete, whose complexion was damaged from lying in pieces on the bottom of the sea for over a thousand years, is not overly idealized, but he was probably a splendid looking young man when the sculpture was made. The face is not that of a vapid, formulaic pretty-boy, but an individual whose likeness would be recognized by his family and friends. A living soul seems to be there behind his eyes. Nothing, however, was done to mar his natural good looks.
The celebrated Mexican artist Frida Kahlo was a striking beauty, as indicated by this photograph:
Yet when she painted this self portrait, at the same period as the photograph was made, she not only didn't idealize her features, she deliberately downplayed her allure. She represented her intelligence, exoticism, fire and seriousness of purpose, but flattened her exquisite cheekbone, exaggerated her facial hair and even gave herself an unflattering hairline. Those are my observations; I am not qualified to suggest why she chose to play down her feminine attractiveness, but it wasn't the result of a lack of ability.
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