A remedy against insecurity, a kind of therapy, a cultural and social history, but also a way to look at ourselves and others differently. Dutch art historian Caro Verbeek with On the nose (Essayer), writes a book with the hope that it will have an impact on the representation of the different types of noses (and bodies) we have. In his investigation he starts from the nose of Michelangelo Buonarroti and moves from the sphinx to Charles Darwin, with the aim of telling – through this excursus – the broader relationship between external and internal appearance, body and mind, trying to break down some clichés and prejudices.
On the nose
In the preface you tell the reasons for your growing interest in the nose. When did you decide that you would write a book based on that interest and why.
I wanted to write this book from the moment I first saw the death mask of Lorenzo the Magnificent. His painted nose was bigger than it actually was and I wondered why. I felt that this forgotten story needed to be documented, because it was unknown and somewhat therapeutic due to my lifelong “nose complex.”
One of the themes of the book is the current standards of beauty with respect to the nose (and not only, with respect to the body in general).
While researching the book, I was amazed that larger, longer, hooked noses were once part of the “beauty standards.” The idea that women should have small noses is so dominant today that we have collectively forgotten that this wasn’t always the case. Anyone who had political or artistic roles had to have a characteristic and large nose, because according to popular scientific belief (called physiognomy), the nose was an expression of internal qualities such as poetic talent, power and intellect. Small noses instead indicated a lack of intuition or perseverance. This idea that it status and larger noses were intimately connected, it only changed in the mid-20th century, mostly because of the Barbie doll, but also because of World War II. With Nazi propaganda, hooked and larger noses were seen as negative and indicative of an entire group of people. Many Jews who fled to the United States underwent nose surgery so they could blend in more easily and escape prejudice; by the way, Jews don’t have hooked noses more often than others, it’s a myth, but those who had one, often underwent surgery.
What are the three most significant noses in the history of art for you and why.
First: Dante’s aquiline and elegant nose. This type of nose was seen as indicative of poetic talent. His death mask, displayed in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, shows the same nose as most portraits of him, such as that of Botticelli. But Giorgio Grupponi discovered that this historical mask had actually been made by artists (in 1483) and his nose was modified to fit the existing image. His real nose was much wider and not very straight from the front. This means that even after death it was very important to maintain this idea of a “poetic nose”; it was a test of his abilities. When Bronzino painted Laura Battiferri (circa 1560), he used the exact same nasal typology to communicate without words that she was the equal of male poets like Dante.
Second: the broken “saddle nose” of Michelangelo, who was hit in the face by fellow artist Torrigiano, after which he collapsed and “crumbled like a biscuit.” He therefore felt ugly and unloved (he makes even more sense in light of physiognomy) and sublimated this loss by sculpting the most beautiful, characteristic and large noses. I think the nose of his famous David represents him in a certain sense. From the side it is very different because it stands out and is straight, but from the front we see exactly the same “diamond shape” in the center of the bridge of the nose that we see on Michelangelo’s portraits. When his patron came to see his creation, he criticized his nose. Then Michelangelo took a ladder and some marble dust, pretended to change it, and let some dust fall. “Ah, now it’s perfect” exclaimed Piero Soderini. This proves that perfection is not in the objects, but in the eyes of the beholder. The stories we tell are important. Furthermore, Michelangelo’s broken nose inspired sculptors who came after him, such as Rodin and Picasso, who created “The Man with the Broken Nose” and the “Head of Picador with the Broken Nose” in honor of him. They effectively transformed the literal impact of the punch into an artistic impact.
Finally, Cleopatra: it is not known what her nose actually looked like, but she is always depicted with a hooked or long nose of considerable size. Female leaders were rare. The way she was portrayed was meant to communicate, in a language everyone knew, that she had political insights and was a leader with the same capabilities as men.
The nose as a symbol of character has undergone a series of transformations over time. What influenced – you explain in the book – were, among others, art and cultural circumstances. In what direction are we going regarding these nose-related aspects?
Even if we have left physiognomy behind and no longer connect inner values to appearance, we continue – unconsciously – to read faces and connect them to personality traits. Did you know that men with bigger noses and wider jaws are considered more competent? And that we think “beautiful” people are also kinder and smarter? Additionally, due to social media, we seem to collectively follow very narrow ideas about what a beautiful nose should look like, especially for women. Many plastic surgeons create similar noses (small, hollow nasal bridge, upturned tip) without considering face or ethnic origin. I read that Bella Hadid regrets having rhinoplasty because her nose represented her cultural background. In recent decades we have witnessed some counter-reactions. Film stars and singers such as Barbra Streisand, Sophia Loren and Lady Gaga have refused to get a nose job, even though it was suggested to them as “good for their career”. And recently on social media the hashtag #sideprofileselfie gained huge popularity thanks to Radhika Sanghani who encouraged people who were previously insecure about their noses to embrace their unique beauty. It is essential to see more diversity in noses and communicate that beauty has many faces. Barbie also now appears with more nose types, such as wide noses and noses with a lower bridge. This will help girls and women and a larger group of people appreciate and glorify all types of noses: I hope one day there can be a Barbie with an aquiline nose.
Could the renaissance of smell contribute to the revaluation of the nose?
The moment that the big nose fell out of favor more or less coincided with the moment that smell (which I call “internal nose”) became underestimated. We are seeing a renaissance in the appreciation of smell in art and academia (and marketing). I believe this development will ultimately restore our appreciation for the “external nose” as well.
How do you imagine a world without smells? Covid has shown us a little…
A world without smells is a sad and gloomy world, with less joy and empathy. Online we objectify each other, but when we smell someone, we are reminded that other human beings are real and have bodies and emotions. People who have lost their sense of smell are at risk for depression; they usually indicate that they feel like they are under a glass dome and cut off from their surroundings. When we smell, the world enters our body through our nostrils and opens the mind to vivid memories. Smell is a highly social sense.
Will we ever get to olfactory messages?
Sending scented emails is already possible (I talk about it in my Ted Talk “Inhaling the past while smelling the future“), but it is still expensive and difficult. Scents cannot be digitized like sounds and images. You need real smells in a device connected to your phone or computer. Since there are trillions of smells (many more than sounds or of colors), these devices are very limited. However, I think that the beauty of perfumes is that you have to be physically present to perceive them. Olfactory experiences are unique and more precious.
Would you change your nose for another today?
I wouldn’t do it. After years of bullying and feeling insecure, I am now really proud of my nose! And without him I would never have written this book.
BAZAAR SHOPPING: 4 MUST HAVES TO BUY NOWJacquemus Le Child BagAcne Studios Bano ankle bootsAESOP Resurrection Aromatique Hand SoapByredo Byredo Candle Scented Library