jeroenrottgering

Have people grown more handsome then their ancestors in the past. From every portret in history I've seen I haven't really seen someone handsome among them. So what do you think have people's appearances changed since 2000 years ago?

Salah

I've seen plenty of nice looking people in contemporary historical portraits.

Why in the world would modern people be more attractive?

Louise C

No. I have seen many attractive people in historical portraits.

DreamWeaver

Surely what is ugly and what is attractive is entirely subjective to the individual?

Increases in relative levels of healthcare, dental care, nutrition and cosmetics and other benefits of a modern society, no doubt have had an impact on how people look though.

Richard Stanbery

The old folks probably had a more healthy and robust constitution, better tans, and were generally more comely.

I always thought the country girls were prettier in this way. And the Appalachian girls have that sort of squinty eyed look from being out in the sun a lot. I always thought that was kinda fetching too.

City girls what stays inside in the air conditioning get sort of a pale palor to them. They need to go out and waller around in the dirt wrestling with the critters, spend some time at the fishing hole, and generally get out of the house more and spend some time in the woods and the wild places.

They would get stronger and healthier looking.

Then they would be prettier, I think.

Edgewaters

Depends on health conditions really. At some times and in some places they were pretty good (even when life expectancy wasn't that high). In others, not so much.

Also cultural values. The Romans valued physical fitness and the strengthening of the body and form, just as we tend to do. They built gymnasiums in which to practice physical exercises. They were probably a bit more attractive than medieval peasants.

Carlisle Blues

This is an interesting question. I just asked someone who used the expression "stunning in her day" what they meant by that. I never got a satisfactory answer and let the issue drop. However, it seems that physical beauty or pulchritude has a time stamp on it for some.

I do not see it that way. Whether the beauty is in the form of a person, work of art or nature there is a uniqueness about the object of the beauty itself. Time can never determine or diminish that depth of the beauty.

Mike McClure

People had to stay still for several minutes to get an early photograph taken so they come off rather stiff. Also when you look back on your High School photograph after 10, 20 years you realize styles change.

Asgeir

Man, o man...

If one think our ancestors were ugly, where does it put us? We are their descendents, the Heir of their legacy. If they were Ugly, we are ugly.

corrocamino

Being unwashed, without dental care, having filthy work -- a number of factors contributed to ugliness in past times more than today. But, then as now, there's no accounting for taste!