Comment by b0rsuk
5 years ago
Mona Lisa was special in part because it was uncommon for people to smile. In Middle Ages, someone smiling a lot would be perceived as stupid. That's why facial expressions in medieval imagery are so serious. Today, being surprised a lot is often taken as a sign of stupidity, whereas in ancient Greece an owl was the bird of Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Because, obviously, an owl is always surprised, and surprise is the first step to understanding.
Smiling prominently for portraits seemed to become more popular only after modern dentistry became common.
I imagine most people in the Middle Ages (and much later) had chipped, missing, buckled, crooked and stained teeth.
Now pristine teeth are a signal of wealth (even though they're usually 100% fake veneers, at least among actors and models) so people want to signal their wealth by smiling prominently.
Teeth in skeletons from the Middle Ages seem fine. It is later ones, after bringing sugar back from the Americas, that have lots of cavities and missing teeth.
Check out the thesis of the recent bestseller Breath by James Nestor. Native American and other traditional cultures put serious emphasis on nose breathing, strictly avoiding mouth breathing. Apparently, consistent nose-breathing can affect nasal and upper-palate development, favoring a spacious mouth and straighter teeth. It can also help avoid dry mouth at night, apparently favoring resistance to dental caries. There is a book by a 19th century ethnographer who discovered some of this, titled Shut Your Mouth and Save Your Life.[1]
[1] https://www.consciousbreathing.com/articles/shut-your-mouth-...
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Both beets and sugar cane are old world plants, and maize-based corn syrup wasn't used as a sweetener until the 20th century. It's true that refined sugar is terrible for dental health, but it didn't come from the americas.
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Getting kind of off-topic here, but my recollection is that teeth in the pre-industrial age were often destroyed over time by grit from flour milling that would wear down teeth.
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It was also an issue of the speed of capture. Paintings and old Cameras had long exposure times so you needed a pose that you could hold for a long time.
https://time.com/4568032/smile-serious-old-photos/
Used to be that you checked cattle's teeth for problems before buying - that's why it's impolite to "look a gift horse in the mouth".
Also done with slaves, from what I've read. Nowadays it's voluntary, sort of.
You don't have to open your mouth or show your teeth when you smile.
This reminds me of some articles showing smiling Victorians, like this one: [1]
Seeing them helps counter the general impression we get from seeing so many dour-faced Victorians from photographs of that era.
[1] - https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/11/24/smiling-victorians...
Athena Glaukopis
Well, it's complicated. Glaukopis could also be translated as "blue eyed", or "grey eyed", not just "owl eyed".
Being the goddess of wisdom and handicraft (among other things), perception was a crucial attribute. Having big eyes (like the owl) could be interpreted as having good visual perception.
But it's not just about the size. She's also described as having "bright eyes", or "flashing eyes", or "darting eyes". It's more about the acuity of perception, than about some emotional aspect.
Fascinating insight. It is little gems such as these, that make HN a cut above the rest.
Pity it's not true.
Please elaborate
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>In Middle Ages, someone smiling a lot would be perceived as stupid.
Unfortunately 20th-century photo magazines, TV, and later Instagram and selfies changed that...
Why would that be unfortunate? Isn't smiling a good thing?
No, it indicates being an idiot (and/or a fake). The old ones had it right.
No they didn't.
I mean, life was objectively a lot worse in the Middle Ages. Give a person from that era a McMansion and tell them to expect clean water, a hamburger, and a soft modern bed every night, they’ll smile too.