Renaissance paintings have a few traits characteristic of them. That’s why we can recognize the perfect Renaissance composition in modern-day moments (who could forget that festive scene in Manchester a few years back?). Those traits include realism, symbolism, and – in a few hair-raising portraits – really big foreheads. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

The cultural revolution that was the Renaissance brought with it a fresh appreciation for art, music, and beauty. It’s hardly surprising, then, that some women were willing to go to extremes in order to meet the beauty ideals of the time. What is surprising, however, is that doing so involved putting toxic levels of lead on their faces.

Venetian Ceruse

The makeup cam

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