On the visual image of the human face: symmetry, texture and pattern

Abstract

Since ancient times, proportion has been an important part of the beauty canons, even though the Greeks and the Romans have a much broader concept regarding the theme than contemporary civilization: to them, symmetry was not only what is meant by specular symmetry, but also the correct proportion; it encompassed, beyond the anthropometric outline, the visual set - skin texture, the level of attraction of the face in light of the desired standards of beauty - that made it approach an aesthetically beautiful image. The objective of this study is to discuss issues related to the social anthropology of the body based on the human face in light of the contemporary patterns of image and beauty. In short, symmetry, texture and facial patterns, besides being biological, must be considered cultural constructs that have a wide variety of states and which give rise to an enormous range of attitudes.