The Validity of Three Neoclassical Canons on Attractive South Korean Faces

Abstract

Neoclassical thinkers and artists defined several facial proportions that supposedly evaluate facial attractiveness in an objective manner. While these neoclassical canons are highly influential in Western art and beauty cultures, their influences on East Asian beauty perception are unclear. This research paper explores the relevance of three neoclassical canons on South Korean beauty standards by calculating three facial proportions of 31 attractive female South Korean celebrities and comparing the average values of each proportion with the corresponding neoclassical canon. This study presents further insight to anthropologists about the cultural influences on beauty perception. Furthermore, these findings can also help plastic surgeons offer more practical advice to clients of different ethnicities with facial features that may not conform to the beauty standards defined by neoclassical canons and clients who subscribe to different beauty standards.