LESSON 10

Aesthetic
Conventionalism
MR. DAN RANDOLF PARCO FRANCIA
Instructor I
Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges
Nabua, Camarines Sur
LESSON 10

1. AESTHETIC CONVENTIONALISM. Theory which contends

that the perception and conception of beauty and ugliness is
due to the agreement of people in the society.
 
2. THOMAS HOBBES. Philosopher (1588-1679) who
theorized about the creation and evolution of society,
morality and civil laws, as well as the formulation of social
contract. This philosophy may be interpreted as a theory of
beauty based on convention
 AESTHETIC
CONVENTIONALISM
Interpretation of
Social Philosophy
by Thomas Hobbes

BEAUTY UGLY
Agreed Agreed
upon to be upon to be
beautiful by ugly by the
people in the people in the
society society
CONVENTIONALISM

THOMAS
HOBBES
1588-1679
Leviathan
Book Cover of
the Leviathan
by Hobbes
 STATE OF NATURE
Savagery (People against one another)

SOCIETY
Civilization (People live in community)
CULTURE, TRADITION, LAW
CUSTOM, CONVENTION

PERCEPTION AND CONCEPT OF BEAUTY

(Ethnocentric)
People from different times and places have different
social values, hence have different perception and concept
of beauty and ugliness. For the ancient Greeks, the beauty
of a woman’s body is determined by her bulging stomach
which symbolizes fertility. A long-necked woman is
beautiful for the Padaung people in Burma. The Negritos
perceived a beautiful woman with dark teeth. The modern
standard is the vital statistics of 36-24-36. Aesthetic
conventionalism is also applied to the fashion of clothing
or hair-do.
 AESTHETIC
CONVENTIONALISM

Perception CULTURE
Conception TRADITION
BEAUTY People in the
Society

“Beauty is in the (culturally

conditioned) eye of the
beholder.”
CULTURAL STANDARD
OF THE BEAUTY OF
WOMEN

SOCIETY OF THE
MURSI PEOPLE
Africa
MURSI
WOMAN
 MURSI
WOMAN
The plate on
her lower lip
determines
beauty
CULTURAL STANDARD
OF THE BEAUTY OF
WOMEN

SOCIETY OF THE
PADAUNG PEOPLE
Myanmar
PADAUNG
WOMAN
The long
neck with
spiral rings
determines
beauty
CULTURAL STANDARD
OF THE BEAUTY OF
WOMEN

SOCIETY OF
CHINESE PEOPLE
China before 1917
 FOOT
BINDING
TRADITION
IN CHINA

Traditional
Chinese Women
with Lotus Feet
LOTUS
FEET
of the
Chinese
women
determine
beauty
BARE
LOTUS
FOOT

Foot
Binding
Tradition
in China
 BUDS OF THE
LOTUS FLOWER

BEGINNING OF
FOOT BINDING
IN 800 BC

The legend of
the court
dancers and the
emperor’s wife
with feet like golf
club
Golden Lotus
(4 inches)
Lotus
Shoes

Sign of
social
status
PAINFUL
PROCESS
OF FOOT
BINDING

From age
3 to 17
years
 Women with lotus feet could not walk properly.
They could not do productive works, and this had
retarded the development of Chinese economy
for almost 2,500 years from 800 BC to 1917.
 The sexual
connotation
of the lotus
feet

“The second vagina”

 THE MODERN LOTUS FEET

Women of today wear these high heels just to make

themselves look beautiful, although very uncomfortable.
AESTHETIC CONVENTIONALISM
IN POPULAR CULTURE

Trend, Fashion
Fad, The “in” thing
Baduy, Bakya
Jologs, Conyo
Passing, temporary and
recycling conventional
concept of beauty
 Where is the eyebrow?

Shaving the
eyebrow was
the fashion of
feminine beauty
during the
Renaissance.
 42b
Leonardo
Ginebra
d’Benci
Leonardo,
Lady with
an Ermine
Vermeer,
Girl with
a Pearl
Earing
MODERN
STANDARD

Amorsolo
Girl with
a Basket
of Mango
(Detail),
1956
Eyebrows
of the
modern
women
 FASHION
OF CLOTHING
THROUGH THE
DECADES
 2015’s
Fashion
 2010’s
Fashion
 2000’s
Fashion
 1990’s
Fashion
 1980’s
Fashion
 1970’s
Fashion
 1960’s
Fashion
 1880’S
FRENCH
FASHION
66a. Seurat, Sunday Aftenoon in the Island of La Grande Jatte, 1888
Seurat, Sunday
Aftenoon in the
Island of La
Grande Jatte,
(Detail)

1880’s
FRENCH
FASHION
 BUSTLE
Framework
worn at the
back of the
woman to
prevent
heavy skirt
from
dragging

1880’s
FRENCH
FASHION
 1880’s
FRENCH
FASHION
Diane Kruger wearing a
bustle gown during the
2012 Oscar Awards
 DAMIAN
DOMINGO

Made water color

paintings showing
Filipinos in native
costumes

Founded the First Art School in the Philippines

Escuela Dibujo y Pintura, Tondo Manila, 1821
 FASHION OF
CLOTHING IN
THE PHILIPPINES
DURING THE
SPANISH PERIOD

Damian Domingo
Water color painting
showing Filipinos in
native costumes
 Damian Domingo
Water color painting
showing Filipinos in
native costumes
 Damian Domingo
Water color painting
showing Filipinos in
native costumes
 Damian Domingo
Water color painting
showing Filipinos in
native costumes
 ILLUSTRADO
CLASS

Damian Domingo
Water color painting
showing Filipinos in
native costumes
 STREET
VENDORS

Damian Domingo
Water color painting
showing Filipinos in
native costumes
 Domingo
Taho Vendor
 Domingo
Fish Vendor
of Manila
Domingo
A Native
Laborer
 AESTHETIC
CONVENTIONALISM

Perception CULTURE
Conception TRADITION
BEAUTY People in the
Society