Fuller lips and smaller forehead: Portrait of a victim of the “Hollywood treatment” in 1634

The conservation of a 1634 painting, which shows the portrait of an aristocrat, has revealed that Photoshop retouching was not new, whereas a 19th-century restorer would have taken the liberty of modifying the face according to his or her preferences.

“Do you think Kylie Jenner’s penchant for full lips reflects a very modern beauty phenomenon? Think again!” On Friday, the non-profit English Heritage wrote about it Watchman.

It was in the hands of a restorer, somewhere between the 17th and 19th centuries, that the portrait in question underwent alterations to soften the features of the noble Lady Diana Cecil, by adding “fuller lips and a reduced hairline,” others said. -Governmental organization.

The British newspaper said that the woman, who lived between 1596 and 1654, was the granddaughter of Willian Cecil, a close friend of Queen Elizabeth I.

But only by launching the work’s conservation process was it possible for the collections restorer, Alice Tate-Hart, to discover the young woman’s true face beneath a yellowing layer of old varnish.

“Finding out that Diana’s features had changed to this extent was certainly a surprise. Although the original reason for the excess paint may have been to cover up the damage.” […] She stressed that the restaurant owner definitely added his own preferences to “soften” his face.

The painting, painted by Cornelius Johnson in 1634, has found its own face, and is scheduled to go on display on November 30 at the neoclassical Kenwood Villa in London.

“As a modern society with access to digital beauty filters and AI technology, we might think we’re more familiar than most with the temptation to ‘improve’ our appearance, but this work […] Louise Collinge, curator of English Heritage at Kenwood, concluded that this was not a new phenomenon.