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Here is a video montage of Female Faces portrayed in paintings by Western (male) artists during the past 500 years. Although the faces portrayed were thought to be “beautiful” by the MEN who painted them, the reality of their “beauty” was very short-lived. By the age of 18, most women were “middle-aged” and “matronly” If a girl was not already married and bearing children by this time, her chances of surviving — in the lower economic classes — were not very good. The girl who was not “pretty enough” to be married was doomed to be supported by her father, or other family members, until she was “lucky” enough to find a husband, or until she died of old age or disease. There were no “jobs” or “careers” for women outside the bedroom and household.
If Females had painted portraits woman during the 500 year period shown in this video, what would they look like? Oh, but of course, females were not PERMITTED to paint… or read… or become educated… or go to school…. or discuss ideas in the presence of men. During the 500 year period during which these portraits were being painted by MEN, the women being portrayed were really little more than slaves, who were literally the owned property of their fathers or husbands. Women were expected to endure a life of child bearing, domestic drudgery and mind-numbing “female” work, like cleaning, washing, cooking, sewing, and having sex whenever their spouse demanded it of them (without any birth control, or abortion.) So, in retrospect, I think we must realize that the male view of women has not really been very “beautiful”.
