“Hey Siri – Define Beauty”

Has the definition of beauty changed due to new technologies and resources?

During early modern Europe, “Recipe books” were used as a step by step guide to reach beauty ideals. Dr Erin Griffey sourced over 400 recipes that focused on complexion alone. The extensive number of books dedicated to beauty ideals demonstrates how the obsession to attain “perfection” has long been sought after throughout history.

Previously, renaissance art captured the beauty of men and women, as artists would spend  2-4 years completing a single artwork. ¹ Technology has replaced this as social media and cameras can be used to capture a portrait by one push of a button.

I’m wondering if due to the high frequency (95 million posts daily on Instagram ²) and variety in photos we see today promoting different ideals, has provoked our definition of beauty to become more diverse and accepting? I would like to think we have developed a broader definition, as we moved away from ‘how-to’ look books, however I’m not sure this is the case. Technology does give minority groups an opportunity to share their perspectives of beauty, but the majority of content reproduces the dominant culture’s beauty ideals, similarly to renaissance art.

Technology may allow for a more diverse range of artists, but it opens the door to constant comparison to models and celebrities who may use photoshop to achieve these unreachable ideals. In some ways comparing yourself to others’ photos, creates an abstract yet toxic form of a “Recipe book”.