Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Why so serious? The reason we rarely see
smiles in art history
Can you keep smiling for hours?
That’s what you need to do if you want your portrait smiling. Ever since the
invention of photography in the mid-19th century, smiling has been the
de-facto standard for portraits and selfies. But prior to the technology invention,
the subject of a portrait had to endure hours maintaining the same facial expression.
That is one reason most of the portraits in museums aren’t smiling. Also,
smiling wasn’t considered decent at least among people in high class. Very
rarely though, smiles were painted in the Renaissance period like Mona Lisa by
Leonard da Vinci. How Lisa Gherardini maintained her famous enigmatic smile while
the renowned artist was painting it is still a mystery. Even in the following the
Baroque, Romanism, and Neoclassicism period, smiling wasn’t so popular for western
portraits.
After all, people who controlled society, religion, or wealth didn’t have to be worried about elections or
popularity. Also, while they were being painted, they were in a formal dress. Dignity
might have suited better than friendliness.
Enjoy reading and learn why you
don’t see smiling portraits in the museum.
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