VIVID MODERNS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21480, 2 May 1933, Page 3

VIVID MODERNS

" Why do all these beautiful women look so delicate, and somehow rather mouse-like? " This was the question which puzzled me as I wandered round the exhibition of portraits of niaeteenth-century beauties at the Knoedler Gallery, Bond Street West, states a London writer. I meant no disrespect to the beautiful women when I described them to myself as " mouse-like," for they certainly were very lovely. Their fine eyes, under delicatelydrawn eyebrows, looked down serenely at an admiring group of people, which sometimes included one or two old men, who would sigh and say, " Ah, I remember her well. She was a handsome woman if there ever was one. You don't see women like her nowadays." All the beauties' had luxuriant hair, either brushed down smoothly and plaited over the head or drawn back into a bunch of curls. Yes, they were lovcl.v, but there was something missing. What was it thoy lacked ? Then two young society women walked into the gallery. They were typical beauties of this ago. They wore small, tight-fitting bhick hats, with diamond clips in the" front. Thoy had plucked eyebrows ,and black eyelashes, which contrasted oddly with their fair hair and scarlet lips. I turned from them to the portraits on the wall, and became aware of what T had missed in those Victorian and Edwardian beauties. They had no makeup on their faces. Their complexions were pale, their eyelashes were not " touched up," and their lips were just' a natural .pink. Therefore, they lacked that vividness which is the chief charm of tho modern woman, and which will often change a comparatively plain girl to a pretty one.