As a history major with an emphasis on European history as well as an Italian minor, I spend a lot of time studying the Renaissance. This time period is one of my absolute favorite things to study. I find everything about it beautiful, specifically the art. From the paintings to the sculptures, it isn’t the smooth lines or use of color or perspective and depth that catches my eye. It is the various body types and shapes depicted.
I think it is absolutely incredible how they viewed the body. One of my professors pointed out that people of that time didn’t have one idealized type of body. Instead, the romanticized the difference in everyone. They loved the fact that bodies weren’t similar to each other. Humanism was a huge theme seen throughout the Renaissance, which is the focus on humanity as an entity.
The people of the Renaissance were nowhere near perfect, but I do think we should take a leaf out of their book when it comes to this. Body issues are such a big deal with pretty much everyone I know. Especially in women. I think that most of the issues arise from the constant comparison to other bodies. But the truth is there isn’t one body that’s superior. Our bodies get us where we need to go, take care of us. I think that if we changed our perspective. If we celebrate the differences, we could view ourselves as the people of the Renaissance did, and understand the beauty everybody holds.