Beauty: The Body as Artefact
Historical Sources from Cicero to Goya
Julia Saviello editor Romana Sammern editor
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd
Publishing:30th Apr '26
£41.99
This title is due to be published on 30th April, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Beauty: The Body as Artefact traces the history of physical beauty in Western art and thought from antiquity to the eighteenth century. Bringing together foundational texts and newly translated works accompanied by scholarly commentaries, this volume explores how the human body was understood as both a product of nature and an artistic creation.
Examining the intersections of aesthetics, art theory, medical practices and cosmetics, it reveals how ideals of beauty and beautification shaped conceptions of gender, the body and artistic creation. The book focuses on the early modern period, when the cosmetic transformation of the body became closely associated with artistic imagery and techniques. Drawing on art-historical, philosophical, and cultural perspectives, the volume presents key writings by figures from Cicero and Alberti to Behn and Hogarth, highlighting shifting notions of imitation, ornament, and naturalness.
Suitable for undergraduates, postgraduates, and scholars in art history, cultural history, and gender studies, Beauty: The Body as Artefact offers a framework for understanding physical beauty as a historical and artistic category at the intersection of image, body, and knowledge.
‘From its beguiling cover to its engaging and carefully curated contents, this is a must-have addition to the early modern corpus and the burgeoning research fields of beauty and embodiment. With texts from Cicero to Goya – each presented in the original alongside translations and pithy commentary by a stellar international team of cutting-edge scholars – students and instructors alike have been gifted a rare and rich package here.’
Catherine Kovesi, Professor of History, University of Melbourne
‘Is human beauty eternal and unchanging, or highly subjective? Should you praise or condemn cosmetic practices? This edition of key texts shows how writers and philosophers grappled with the question of how to define, modify and manage male and female beauty from antiquity to the eighteenth century. With original texts on beauty, translations, and insightful commentaries, this is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the history of beauty.’
Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Bristol
ISBN: 9781032735702
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
496 pages