le sigh...un souhait naitre dans dix huit siecle France

Since I discussed briefly my minor and how it relates to my self-image yesterday, I thought today I might discuss briefly my major and how it relates to my self-image.  I am an art history major, and this semester am taking FOUR art history classes.  One of them being 18th century European art.  

We are now studying Rococo genre paintings.  We were discussing the de Troy work Diana Resting and how it relates to Rococo, but how it is evident in the work that de Troy was still an Academie trained artist.  One of her examples were the women in the work.  Let me expound on that.  

Dr. Luxenburg said that because the women were idealized, that showed that de Troy was trained.  Let me also say that if you were to ask me to describe myself to someone or if someone else were to describe me, they might use the words fair skinned, dark hair and some form of the words "pleasantly plump", which I don't think exist in the English language without a negative connotation.  Anyway, Dr. L went on to clarify what she meant when she said that the female figures were idealized.  She said "You have to remember that when I say idealized, I mean what was seen as most attractive in France at that time.  The women are buxom, with pale, pale skin and chestnut hair.  This is what would have been seen as 'ideal' at the time of de Troy's training".  

Damn.  

I'm just a couple of centuries too late.  By American standards, I'm not classified as "ideal".  Had I lived in the place of my ancestors in the 1700s however, I would have been considered a fox.  You win again, current American beauty standards, you win again.