I've been viewing the MET Gallery collection online (Covid cabin fever), and noticed that most of the glamorous actresses, aristocracy, and subjects of art all have soft, round jawlines. This seems to be fairly consistent in western art spanning back as far as I'm aware.
It's not just plumper women in general for example this late 19th century photo of an actress with a very slim figure but noticeably soft jawline. The Mona Lisa is another example of a soft jawed/ double-chinned woman and this seems to go back to the greeks as-well.
My question is when did this change? The beauty standard for western women (in real life and in art) is undoubtedly that of no double chin and a jawline that could cut diamonds. Even our famous modern plus-sized models like Ashley Graham and Iskra Lawrence have a strikingly tight jawline.
When did this change, and why?
This is far from the best of my answers, so feel free to ask as many follow-up questions as you want, but I did once respond to Ancient Greek and Roman sculptures depicted women as soft with curves. Which period of time did we begin to see the ideal female body as having a lower body fat?
