Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts tagged as “Youth”

The Ideal Man of Ancient Times: Youth Equals Beauty

The popular perception of what an ideal guy should seem like varies by culture. Many guys, like women, want to emulate popular beauty trends in order to be perceived as more attractive. The cultural differences in what people deem objectively beautiful may surprise you.

Since ancient times, people have wanted to represent an ideal male. This article will look at male beauty standards throughout history, including the Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance periods.

Every culture has its own vision of what the ideal guy should look like. We see gorgeous people on social media, television, catwalks, and the red carpet nowadays. We tend to regard them as an ideal of beauty, establishing a standard against which to assess whether or not other people are appealing. It was similar in the past; there was an idea of how the ideal man should look in each period of our history. This article will look at the concept of the perfect man and male beauty standards throughout European history, including ancient Greece and Rome, the Medieval Period, and the Renaissance Era.

Our tale began in Greece in the sixth century BCE. Attica, in particular, has rich artistic traditions and outstanding sculpture. There are countless statues of young men in serious, stiff attitudes known as “kouros,” which means “youth” in Greek.

The stance of these statues was most likely inspired by ancient Egyptian art and presented visitors with a clear and simple formula to interpret. Since before the sixth century BCE, the main style of art was geometrical, and human beings were mainly painted or drawn in highly stylized, almost abstract, shapes. These kouros statues, however, portrayed an idealized depiction of young men devoid of individual identities. Their strange smiles, forward left foot, arms at their sides, and thin bodies were very identical. They represented a broad image of youthful beauty rather than individuals. 

These sculptures’ posture was most likely inspired by ancient Egyptian art, and it provided viewers with a clear and simple formula to understand. Since before the sixth century BCE, geometrical art has been the dominant style, with humans painted or drawn in highly stylized, almost abstract shapes. However, these kouros statues depicted an idealized portrayal of young males bereft of particular identities. Their odd smiles, forward left foot, arms at their sides, and skinny bodies were very similar. Rather than individuals, they reflected a general picture of youthful beauty.

We can see one of the most famous and precise images of the naked male body in ancient art after the transition from more geometric-oriented art to naturalistic depiction of the human body. Even now, statues of athletes and deities portray an ideal of the muscular male figure. We must remember that musculature was not to be overdone, as the ideal was an athletic, healthy body. Heracles (or Hercules) was an exception, whose strength and life were decided by physical might, and so his over-the-top muscles defined his character. Young men were encouraged to participate in gymnasiums and at sporting events to show off their physical health.

After the transition from more geometric-oriented art to realistic depiction of the human body, we can observe one of the most famous and precise images of the naked male body in ancient art. Even now, statues of sportsmen and deities depict an idealized muscular male image. We must keep in mind that musculature should not be overdone because the aim was an athletic, healthy body. Heracles (or Hercules) was an exception, whose wealth and life were determined by physical might, and therefore his hulking muscles characterized his personality. Young males were encouraged to participate in gymnasiums and sporting events in order to demonstrate their physical fitness.

If you’ve ever wondered why penises on athletic Greek bodies are smaller than average, it’s because a large penis was a sign of the barbarous wilderness and untamed cravings. Because an ideal man was intended to be lovely not only on the surface but also on the inside, there was a need to differentiate oneself as civilized on the outside. Knowledge, combined with a healthy, beautiful body, was a symbol of perfection, and nudity on sculptures was not considered as vulgar or indecent — rather, it was viewed as a display of an ideal that every man should strive towards.

Michelangelo’s David is another well-known illustration of the ideal man from this era. A massive marble statue of the biblical David (more than five meters/16 feet) depicts a young naked man, most likely in preparation for a confrontation with his enormous antagonist, Goliath. His contrapposto posture, in which one leg bears his whole weight while the other leg moves slightly forward, evokes the Classical ideal of beauty. Despite this ideal, when we look at David’s proportions, the body itself is not perfect. In accordance with the ancient Greek concept of civilization, his head and hands are exaggerated in comparison to the rest of his body, but the penis is smaller. It could have also been because of David’s historic moniker “strong hand,”.

The statue features an extremely skinny torso, legs, and neck – yet Michelangelo was a superb sculptor, and these disproportions are not purposeful. On the contrary, he was aware of them, and they worked in his favor – after all, David is one of the world’s most recognizable sculptures to this day. We can see that, unlike the Vitruvian man, the ideal man did not require perfect mathematical proportions; rather, his position, gesture, and importance dictated whether or not he was regarded as an ideal man. At the period, this mentality was also applied to civic portraits, with the aim shifting from physical or inner beauty to a display of riches and authority.

The statue has a very tiny torso, legs, and neck, yet Michelangelo was a fantastic sculptor, and these disproportions are not intentional. On the contrary, he was well aware of them, and they worked in his favor – after all, David is still one of the world’s most recognizable sculptures. Unlike the Vitruvian man, the ideal man did not require exact mathematical dimensions; rather, his position, gesture, and importance controlled whether or not he was considered an ideal man. This approach was also applied to civic portraits of the time, with the goal shifting from physical or inner beauty to a display of wealth and authority.

The wealthy middle class began to ascend to power and amass fortune by investing in art and brilliant artists. They did not want to be portrayed as idealized guys, but rather as their forceful personalities. Their objective was to be identified as individuals rather than to reflect some generalized idea of beauty and perfection. Demonstrations of wealth and power were fundamental to art, lending strength to their protagonists’ personalities.

To summarize the concept of the perfect man, we can apply these ideals to modern society. How would an ideal man from the aforementioned eras appear on modern social media? In the first scenario, he’d be working out in a gym while reading Plato, whereas the Medieval ideal would be a spiritual guy attempting to connect with his inner beauty and self (and preferably be skinny), and the Renaissance man would display his wealth and accomplishment 온라인카지노사이트. The idea of a man became personalised and difficult to monitor over time, but I believe that the principles of Classical Greece, Medieval spirituality, and Renaissance naturalism remain three bedrock that define the male ideal to this day.