What was beauty defined as in the 1800s?

Answer 1

The 1800's were marked by two contrast of what beauty should be. The first epitome was the "virtuous woman". Brown hair, pale skin and pounds of body weight were considered "beautiful". Being corpulent simply meant you were successful in maternity. The second cannon was the ideal of the "sick woman". Women ingested vinegar and lemon juice and slept very well little in order to look as sick as possible. This woman was the mysterious woman, the distant woman, the dreamt-about woman.

Ex. Virtous woman - Madame de Montespan

Sick Woman- Sappho (Charles Mengin)

Beauty is something everyone sees on your outer self, but true beauty comes from within.

Answer 2

Women were ideally quite slim but with full breasts and hips. Natural beauty was popular, so most respectable women only wore face powder and no other cosmetics. Pale skin was preferred and women wore hats to protect their complexions from the sun.