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Standards And Perceptions Of Male Bearty Throughout History

Throughout history there have been many changes in the standards and perceptions of male beauty in Western culture. The portrayal of the male form throughout time, in art and sculpture, reflects the culture’s morals, values, and beliefs, among other things. In paintings and sculptures, artists depict the qualities in men that are important to the time period of their works. Perceptions of male beauty and their image can also represent a person’s social status in society, such as being noble, rich, or both. The male themes seen throughout art include heroes, the supernatural, biblical figures, and idealized bodies, to name a few. Some of the time periods that illustrate the importance of male beauty and image are the Baroque period, Neoclassical, Romanticism, Realism, the 20th century, and the present.
The Baroque era began in Europe during the 17th century and was a time of religious conflict. This style in art was modified by different cultures in Europe to express the ideals and beliefs of each culture. Three styles emerged that became known as Florid Baroque, Classic Baroque, and Restrained Baroque. Florid Baroque was based on Roman Catholic religious principles and beliefs, classic Baroque was chivalrous and aristocratic, and restrained Baroque was a simple style that depicted Protestant values. As with the three styles of Baroque, the male image varied slightly through each one but they all had a religious basis. Artists of this time also used different methods to reflect this. “Although religious painting, history painting, allegories, and portraits were still considered the most noble subjects, landscapes, still-life, and genre scenes were painted by such artists as Claude Lorrain, Jacob van Ruisdael, Willem Kalf, and Jan Vermeer” (Bartleby).
One work from Baroque period to analyze is The Conversion of St. Paul (1600-1601) by Caravaggio. As can be seen in this painting, Caravaggio used light and shadow to show off his subjects (Katya Gifford). This...