What Is Beauty? Animation Traces Female Beauty Ideals from Venus to Nicki Minaj
Anna Ginsburg's animated short 'What Is Beauty?' commissioned by CNN for International Women's Day traces the evolution of female beauty ideals from the Paleolithic Venus of Willendorf to contemporary pop star Nicki Minaj. The video features iconic representations including the Venus de Milo, Rubens' Three Graces, Modigliani's nudes, and 1960s model Twiggy. Ginsburg, an English illustrator, created the piece partly as a personal response to her younger sister's anorexia, which began at age 12 and has required hospitalization and tube feeding. The artist states that witnessing her sister's eight-year struggle prompted reflection on Western beauty standards and the increasing objectification of the female body. The animation concludes with a message celebrating diversity of female forms and rejecting a single standard of beauty.
Key facts
- Anna Ginsburg created the animated short 'What Is Beauty?'
- The video was commissioned by CNN for International Women's Day (March 8)
- It traces beauty ideals from the Venus of Willendorf to Nicki Minaj
- Features Venus de Milo, Rubens' Three Graces, Modigliani's nudes, and Twiggy
- Ginsburg's younger sister has suffered from anorexia since age 12
- The sister has been hospitalized and tube-fed for the past year
- The artist reflects on Western beauty standards and objectification
- The video celebrates diversity of female forms
Entities
Artists
- Anna Ginsburg
- Nicki Minaj
- Twiggy
- Rubens
- Amedeo Modigliani
Institutions
- CNN
- Artribune