Body Shapes and Associated Perceived Traits in Pre-Contemporary European Portraits

This research investigates how body proportions are represented and perceived in historical portraits. This project describes the historical evolution of depicted body shapes during the period 1650-1950 in France and England. Focusing on the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) in women and the chest-to-waist ratio (CWR) in men, the study also shows how clothing modulates perceived traits such as youth, nulliparity in women, and formidability in men.