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Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift in their respective poems, The Rape of the Lock and The Progress of Beauty, offer opposite representations of the nature and function of cosmetics in eighteenth century society. In The Rape of the Lock, Pope gives a positive representation of cosmetic’s nature and function in eighteenth century society. On the other hand, Swift’s representation takes a very negative tone. Both poets clearly appreciate and admire the natural beauty of a woman and their opposite opinions and therefore representation of the nature and function of cosmetics, springs from this admiration. Pope, whilst slightly ridiculing cosmetics through his use of satire, represents cosmetics in a positive light through portraying it as something which can enhance natural beauty. Swift vehemently opposes cosmetics in his poem and his representation of the nature and function of cosmetics in eighteenth century society is a direct contrast to Pope’s. He represents cosmetics as something not that enhances natural beauty but as something that destructs the natural beauty of a woman. Essentially in their poetry, Pope represents cosmetics as having a positive nature and function in eighteenth century society and Swift represents cosmetics as having a negative nature and function in eighteenth century society.
In The Rape of the Lock Pope’s appreciation and admiration for Belinda’s beauty is evident. “The Rape of the Lock is…a hymn of praise addressed to beauty” , in particular to Belinda’s beauty. This praise is evident when Pope writes phrases about Belinda such as “And oped those eyes that must eclipse the day”. (Canto 1, 14) Belinda’s beauty is frequently praised by Pope throughout The Rape of the Lock and his representation of the nature and function of cosmetics is that it is an enhancer of her natural beauty. When Belinda goes to the mirror to put on her make-up, Pope writes that “A heavenly image in the glass appears”. (Canto 1, 125) Her beauty is praised by Pope in its natural form, and Pope describes the function of cosmetics here as something that “calls forth all the wonders of her face”. (Canto 1, 142) The function of cosmetics according to Pope is to enhance the natural beauty of women. To brighten her eyes, and to add colour to her cheeks and lips. The wonders of Belinda’s face are brought out and are enhanced through the use of cosmetics. The nature...
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...of Beauty is full of condemnation for cosmetics and threats to women about the ‘dangers’ of cosmetics.
In The Rape of the Lock and The Progress of Beauty, both Pope and Swift give representations of the nature and function of cosmetics in eighteenth century society. Their representations are completely contrasting, as the representation of the nature of cosmetics given by Pope is positive, yet Swift represents a negative nature of cosmetics. Pope represents cosmetics to perform the function of enhancing natural beauty. On the other hand Swift’s representation of the function of cosmetics is one that destroys natural beauty. Evidence for these representations can be found in the tones used by both of the poets, in their descriptions of cosmetics and its effects, and in distinct phrases where they offer warnings and speak distinctly about cosmetics and its advantages and disadvantages. Essentially, Pope represents the nature and function of cosmetics in eighteenth century society as positive and as something to enhance natural beauty, whereas Swift represents the nature and function of the same cosmetics as being negative and as something which destroys the natural beauty of women.
Carol Armstrong begins her essay by pointing out the two main points that come about when discussing A Bar at the Folies-Bergere. These two points are the social context of the painting and its representation of 19th century Paris, and the internal structure of the painting itself with the use of space. She then goes on and addresses what she will be analyzing throughout her essay. She focuses on three main points, the still life of the counter and its commodities, the mirror and its “paintedness”, and the barmaid and her “infra-thin hinge” between the countertop and the mirror.
Women have spent a large amount of time throughout the 20th century fighting for liberation from a patriarchal form that told them that they must be quiet and loyal to their husbands and fathers. For the duration of this essay, I will be discussing how the “Modern Woman” image that appeared through the Art Deco style — that emulated ideas such as the femme fatale and masqueraded woman, and presented new styles to enhance women’s comfortability and freedom — is still prevalent and has grown in contemporary art and design since. Overall I will describing to you how fashion, sexuality, and the newly emerged ‘female gaze’, and how these tie in together — in both periods of time — to produce what can be described as powerful femininity.
Although Alexander Pope's, "The Rape Of The Lock" and Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" are both witty satires, they differ on their style, intention, and mood.
Fletcher is not the only one obsessed with looks. Leota is a beautician after all. The setting of the story taking place in a beauty parlor is significant, as is Leota’s job as a beautician. Leota’s character is almost stereotypical in appearance from what is learned, she has black and blond hair, long red nails, and obsessed with a single pastel color, lavender (Welty 1094). Her occupation is to enhance the beauty of women but it is no secret that she lives up to the gossiper stereotype surrounding beauticians. There is not a single person who does not gossip with the person who cuts their hair, especially if they go to a beauty shop. In this shop, the ugliness of gossip and judgment rears its head, ironic is a place where women come to make themselves
To begin, in The Rape of the Lock, Alexander Pope uses satire to invoke a capricious, melancholy mood to illustrate the absurdity of fighting over the cutting of one's hair. Hidden inside this poem is a crafty criticism of the society that helps create the crisis over the stolen lock. A Society in which appearances ere more important to a person’s sense of identity, and treats the insignificant with utmost importance.
In Women in Black at the Opera (1880) by Cassatt, the woman character has an active and aggressive looking. This is a major point of the painting because, during the ninetieth century, women were not normally portrayed with the “power of the gaze.” In this particular painting, the woman is holding the opera-glasses, the stereotypical instrument of male specular power. In the other hand, The Loge (1874) by Renoir portrays a lovely woman at the opera and positions her clearly as the object of the masculine viewer’s gaze, both inside and outside the paintings. Even though she is the focal point of the painting, it is the male companion who has the privilege of holding the opera glasses, hence, the power of the gaze. This clearly shows how women and men artists could represent different points of view, even in the same context. Consequently, how the meaning of same space or location can change depending on the role, power, and activity of the character that is being
Theo and the young Narrator similarly discover the revelatory capacity of art through a single pivotal painting and author respectively, both which become significant motifs in either text. Tartt utilizes an existent painting ‘The Goldfinch’ as a fixed point of reference, which, for both Theo and the reader provides a sense of reality and constancy ‘rais[ing him] above the surface’ of an otherwise tumultuous childhood. Whereas Proust uses a fictional author, ‘Bergotte’, to communicate the universality of art, and invite the reader, through the vivid immediacy with which the Narrator’s early reading experiences are described, to participate in his epiphanic discovery that art can translate ‘imperceptible truths which would never have [otherwise] been revealed to us’ (97). Artistic imagery becomes a motif in Proust’s descriptions of scenes of domesticity and nature. In a scene recounting Francoise ‘masterful’ preparation of a family meal the Narrator describes asparagus in the technical language of painting as ‘finely stippled’ provoking an association between his observations of asparagus and the creation of a painting. By forming this improbable link he elevates unremarkable asparagus to the ‘precious’ status of art in the eyes of the reader. Proust’s presentation of his Narrator’s ‘fascination’ and pleasure at their ‘rainbow-loveliness’, forces the reader to consider asparagus with unfamiliar and attentive appreciation, conveying the idea that art can uncover the overlooked beauty of the mundane. Though Theo reveals a far more cynical view of ordinary life as a ‘sinkhole of hospital beds, coffins and broken hearts’ Tartt conveys the similar belief in art’s capacity to create a ‘rainbow-edge’ of beauty between our perceptions and the harshness of reality. In the most
During Swift’s observation he maintains a scientific style of writing when speaking of his brilliant plan while continuing his satirical message in order to gain credibility. Swift’s main attributes are...
In the poem “The Lady’s Dressing Room,” written by Jonathan Swift, one may say he portrays himself to be a chauvinist by ridiculing women and their cryptic habits. However, others may say he wants to help women from the ideals placed upon them by society and prove to be an early feminist. This poem written in the 18th century represented women to be fake and sleazy at first. Then during the 20th century, the feminist movement used it as an attack against women, depicting the poem’s meaning as not valuing their rights and freedoms. The truth far hidden from these points of views became uncovered recently. This essay will explain both sides of the views and using critical thinking will uncover the real message the author intended to portray.
For example, Petrarch focuses on describing not only the appearance of the doe, but her surroundings as well. Furthermore, he is so delighted by the beauty he sees in his beloved that he must drop everything and follow her at all costs; this fact exemplifies the Italian Renaissance’s cultural concept of beauty because the focus is on the poet’s infatuation with the outward beauty of his
...e ability to achieve anything in life. Hopefully, readers would learn from this novel that beauty is not the most important aspect in life. Society today emphasizes the beauty of one's outer facade. The external appearance of a person is the first thing that is noticed. People should look for a person's inner beauty and love the person for the beauty inside. Beauty, a powerful aspect of life, can draw attention but at the same time it can hide things that one does not want disclosed. Beauty can be used in a variety of ways to affect one's status in culture, politics, and society. Beauty most certainly should not be used to excuse punishment for bad deeds. Beauty is associated with goodness, but that it is not always the case. This story describes how the external attractiveness of a person can influence people's behavior and can corrupt their inner beauty.
“The rape of the lock” is a satiric poem which treats a trivial subject, with the sophisticated language and heroic style of the classical epic. Pope addresses a variety of ideas ...
There are many misconceptions about beauty and its importance, in todays society. In a time when physical beauty can be of utter importance, we seem to be at a loss of it. What is beauty and where can it be found? Can we see it in the air we breathe, the brilliant oceans, in the striking sunsets, or even in one another? With the weight of beauty in today's society, the common use of expressions used to describe life's brilliance is expected. The many expressions used to discuss beauty such as "beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder" and "beauty runs only skin deep" all stimulate different opinions and create controversy, but the most notorious of all, being that "beauty doesn't last forever." Sheri S. Tepper's Beauty reinstates the many questions regarding beauty and it's value, regardless of the time in which it is present. As time goes on, all that is beautiful and magical in the world will eventually become extinct. In her web review of the novel, Amanda Holland-Minkley, a professor at Cornell University, argues that the guiding theme throughout the novel is "the presence of magic and beauty in the world, and the risk we run of allowing them to disappear." As Beauty lives through the 20th century, her new experiences cause her to view life from a different perspective. Her once peaceful and simple life in the 14th century at Westfaire was now changed into a life where famine, drugs, violence, disease, overpopulation, and pain were all too common. In this world, beauty and magic are non-existent, so much so that the standards of beauty have minimized to almost nothing. Beauty says, "The worst part of living here is that nothing is beautiful. Magic doesn't work" (101). The time in which Beauty is living through is completely voi...
Beauty product can be defined as cosmetics; materials and devices made and sold for the purpose of enhancing the physical attractiveness of users or in other words, as any product, especially a cream or lotion, intended to improve a person's appearance . We live in society where people nowadays are very obsessed with beauty and spending so much money on beauty products. Since we were children, the society taught us that beauty is happiness, wellness and everything. This creates a mindset that only attractive physical appearance is beauty, even though ‘beauty’ is a very subjective word where it can apply to many things. It is a rare sight these days to
In order to understand Joyce’s theory of beauty, the process that occurs must be de-constructed. Beauty can be found in vastly different contexts—the sun setting over the ocean or the Mona Lisa hanging in The Louvre in Paris—yet every experience has been