Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-03-19
"a

lures Of a by-gone age one often won
ders whether beauty is a fact or
question of opinion. We are told
that real beauty is so absolute that
discussion and disagreeeent are out ri
the question that this divine gift is
as indisputable as the brilliancy o.
the sun or Of the tender light OF the
moon, and the traditions and faith OF
our early teaching Iinger long and dc
hard our phases Of belief and our
standard Of beauty vary, however, as
life goes on. The beauty which We
admired and remembered as children
horriies us as we look back upon u
from the experiences Of a matureC
age. for that ideal was entirely su0or
Idinated to our affections and seen
only through their eyes.
There is no doubt however, that
while those who remember bygor2
generations have the same expert
ence as ourselves, and know only Of a
limited period, it is to pictures that
we must look to form an opinion g.
to whether the standard Of beauty in
the world today is less or more than
900 years go. The pictures of Sir
Peter Lely and Vandyke are the first
that portray an approximate idea Of
what we now consider beauty, The
pictures OF the Tudor soveTeigns de-
pict fine, strong, big men, and the pic
lures by Holbein of Henry VIII are
those Of a magnificent man. Indeed,
all the pictures OF men at that period
if they do not convey the idea OF
great physical beauty, at any rate de-
pict manly qualities of fine state OF
development, for their subjects are
strong, active, well made men,
though the less romantic and pictU
esque qualities are absent from their
faces.
The pictures Of the women of those
days do not impress one with a high
standard of beauty. They are all
more or less of a manly type, and do
not convey any idea of the delicacy
and refinement which we associate
with real feminine beauty. Queen
Elizabeth is wonderful in appearance
and expression, but she is not beau,
tiful. There is a strength and vigor
in the virgin queen and a magnifi-
cence of apparel, but any real charm
is wanting; She is a woman to com
the women of her day are simply
ugly When we get to the highest ex-
position of beauty and charm the
world has ever seen-beautiful. be
Witching, unhappy Mary Stuart-we
are fairly baffied; for though there is
grace and dignity. she does not repre-
sent to lis the beauty which was the
cause Of blOOdshed. conspiracy and
crime and eXpatiated it's sins on the
block at Fotheringay The beauty Of
Mary Stuart must have been no
dream, no matter Of opinion, for the
men who fought and died for her did
so in many cases. from a passion in
spired by her dazzling and unspeak-
able charms. 1t may be that so fas-
cinating a personality, with all the
charm Of her French training and
education, turned the heads and won
tllN lI1Ctl - VI Iitl SlSl IL SCtIN dIISIIJ
subjects; but that is hardly reason
enough for the power she possessed
over every one she came across. We
search in vain in her pictures TO-
anthing like beaut great enough to
make such ha-oc as characterized her
whole life and Their is only one small
miniature on Mary Stuart which con-
veys even an impression of the charm
she must have possessed
Eandyke does at once strike a new
note and his men and women are not
only beautiful but distinguished and
picturesque. The men he painted are
heroes of romance, from the dignity
and pathOs of Charles to the gallant
demeapOr of the martyred Stranord
The grace of his women. their self,
possession, their air of breeding.
make them beautiful apart from any
real pretensiOns to that attribute. and
the ladies whom Sir Peter Lely por-
trayed, though less refined and Of q
different class, are beautiful women.
or give the impression of being so
II we pass over the pictures of the
next years, comprising the reigns of
Queen Anne and the early Georges.
they depict a beauty. not of the indis-
putable standard of Nandyke. but
rather dependent on a picturesque
ness Of dress and costume, which also
gave a grace and dignity to the ap-
pearnce of those who were rich
enough to be painted. Queen Anne
herself, was not beautiful, and Sara3
duchess of Marlborough. though a fine
commanding figure. had not much OF
the grace or dignity With which Van
dyke endowed his women: while most
family pictures of that day represent
race of stern and hard featured
women. though the fashions were moi
either unbecoming or eXtravagant.
It is not, however, till the days OF
Reynolds and Gainsborough and Rom
ney that we are compelled to admit
that there may be some truth in the
opinion of many that there was mors
real beauty in England in those times
than there is today. There are NJ
women more beautiful and comeIy
none better endowed with the ease
grace and simplicity which grea
beauty gives, than the women of thei
day. whose pictures adorn our home
and whose beauty challenges tn
whole world with absolute assurance
They may be typical only of a elias
which dominated the art of its da,
and held it captive They found tw,
of the greatest painters that tn