The Cult of Beauty review: a 'fascinating' exhibition
Ideals of beauty through history and around the world are explored at Wellcome Collection

In the age of social media, the pressure to conform to beauty standards embodied by celebrities and influencers has become "unrelenting", said Anita Bhagwandas in The Guardian. The global beauty industry is expected to exceed $800bn by the end of this year. Yet this obsession is not quite the modern phenomenon we might imagine it to be. Indeed, "defining who and what is 'beautiful' has plagued philosophers, mathematicians, scientists and mere mortals for centuries".
As this "fascinating" new exhibition at the Wellcome Collection explains, our current ideals of beauty are the culmination of "age-old beliefs that date back to prehistory". The show brings together some 200 objects, installations and works of art to explore the concept of beauty "in all its glorious and insidious guises". "The Cult of Beauty" tells all manner of "untold stories" from cultures around the world, from the dawn of history right up to the present: one series of photographs examines the prevalence of nose jobs in contemporary Iran.
"There's an awful lot here to think about and marvel at," said Melanie McDonagh in the Evening Standard. We see, for instance, "a fascinating selection of antique make-up tools, including an Egyptian device for producing kohl". There is also a burnished bronze mirror from Egypt, demonstrating that even before the invention of "effective looking glasses" – enabled by putting mercury behind glass – we still sought to gaze at our own reflection. And while attempts at cosmetic surgery have existed since the 17th century, the "really gross" examples of botched treatments come from our own time: a number of photos here will "cause you never to entertain the idea of a facelift or breast surgery". It's not all great, however. The contemporary art installations here are less successful than the historical exhibits, and the show often strikes an off-puttingly hectoring tone, demanding we think in a certain way about the "politically unsound past".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Nevertheless, this is a "riveting" exhibition, said Laura Cumming in The Observer. It's fascinating, for example, to learn how many aesthetic procedures have their origins in medical science: electrotherapy for wrinkles was first used to treat tuberculosis, while "the oxygen therapy beloved of Hollywood stars" was originally a treatment for asthma. The curators have "a keen sense of the ludicrous", as seen in Hogarth prints lampooning the fashions of his day and, "best of all", a "scaled-up life-size mannequin of Barbie" with "a 21-inch waist" and "hips scarcely any larger". Elsewhere, and altogether more disturbing, a 17th century satirical print depicts men taking their "old" or "ugly" wives to a windmill "to be 'improved' through grinding". At once horrifying and compelling, this is a "terrific" and revelatory show.
Wellcome Collection, London NW1 (020-7611 2222, wellcomecollection.org). Until 28 April 2024.
Sign up to The Week's Arts & Life newsletter for reviews and recommendations
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
October 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailout
Talking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?
Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
Mustardy beans and hazelnuts recipe
The Week Recommends Nod to French classic offers zingy, fresh taste
-
Susie Dent picks her favourite books
The Week Recommends The lexicographer and etymologist shares works by Jane Goodall, Noel Streatfeild and Madeleine Pelling
-
6 incredible homes under $1 million
Feature Featuring a home in the National Historic Landmark District of Virginia and a renovated mid-century modern house in Washington
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91
Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
The Harder They Come: ‘triumphant’ adaptation of cinema classic
The Week Recommends ‘Uniformly excellent’ cast follow an aspiring musician facing the ‘corruption’ of Kingston, Jamaica
-
House of Guinness: ‘rip-roaring’ Dublin brewing dynasty period drama
The Week Recommends The Irish series mixes the family tangles of ‘Downton’ and ‘Succession’ for a ‘dark’ and ‘quaffable’ watch
-
Dead of Winter: a ‘kick-ass’ hostage thriller
The Week Recommends Emma Thompson plays against type in suspenseful Minnesota-set hair-raiser ‘ringing with gunshots’
-
A Booker shortlist for grown-ups?
Talking Point Dominated by middle-aged authors, this year’s list is a return to ‘good old-fashioned literary fiction’