Why is beauty good for us? And in general – how can the beauty of the world around us change us? Writer and poet Francois Chen reflects on the harmony that unites art, man and nature.
It changes us, really makes us better. There are scenes in life that excite us (as, for example, a battle, a collision, a fight between struggling bodies), but the highest state of beauty is still harmony. I am talking here about the ethical side of beauty – the one that helps a person to maintain dignity, generosity and nobility. These qualities allow us to go beyond the limits of limited existence, to overcome pain in order to achieve harmony. Beauty transforms us, taking us beyond the ordinary, allowing us to see the surrounding objects as they were at the beginning of time – as if we were seeing them for the first time.
Stepping outside, you suddenly notice a tree in bloom… and the universe appears before you as if it had just come into existence. Only beauty can give us this charm and shock of the first glance at the world.
“A person with a living perception is invariably excited and even shocked by the beauty of the universe around us. This theme has haunted me throughout my life. Perhaps because since childhood, from the age of 7-8 years, I lived every summer on Mount Lu, and this, by all accounts, is one of the most picturesque places in China.
Imagine a small mountain range stretching along the banks of the Yangtze River and hanging over the surrounding lakes. Everywhere, a riot of vegetation and fantastic ledges of rocks open up to the eye. But the steam that rises from the lakes and the river and creates a veil of fog gives a special charm to this picture. In some places it breaks, and in these gaps you discover the mysterious and enchanting beauty of Mount Lu. The play of light and shadow, the constant fluctuation between the visible and the invisible create an indescribable impression. Add to this the music of mountain streams cascading down, and … the sight of young European girls in bathing suits. You can imagine what impression this made on the little Chinese in the 1930s: I was smitten on the spot by such a combination of the beauty of the world, nature and the human body.
“Can beauty inspire if it is not based on goodness? No, she’s ugly. Beauty that serves death is animated by inner ugliness. And, on the contrary, any person in his kindness is beautiful. Try watching on the subway. Take a closer look at the most ordinary faces, and you will see: if they bear the stamp of simplicity and humility, they are beautiful. I cannot but quote the famous “philosopher of life” Henri Bergson: “The highest manifestation of beauty is grace, but the word “grace” contains the concept of goodness, goodness. Kindness is the generosity of infinite self-giving. So beauty and goodness are combined in the word “grace.”
The Chinese language has the character “hao”, consisting of two elements, denoting a woman and a child; together, these elements mean both beauty and goodness. What could be more beautiful and better than the attitude of a mother to a child? In conclusion, I will add that kindness is a kind of guarantor of the true virtues of beauty. And that kindness highlights beauty and makes it desirable.”
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- Lupita Nyong’o: “Try to be beautiful from the inside. This beauty has no shades”
“Women think in vain that their beauty is a property that must be protected, as they would, for example, take care of their medal. Moreover, since every person is unique, every beauty is unique; there really are no canons of beauty. The canon of beauty arose in ancient Greek culture at a time when Greek sculpture was mired in academicism. Meanwhile, beauty and charm are born from originality. Uniformity and unification are ugly. In my opinion, one of the most beautiful female portraits is that of Rembrandt’s second wife. The face of this plump and no longer young woman is covered with wrinkles, but her eyes radiate an amazing light of understanding, kindness and harmony with being. She took place in life, and her whole appearance speaks of inner peace. For me, she truly is the epitome of beauty.”
“I was 8 years old when, in 1937, a war broke out in China against the Japanese invaders. At the end of the year, a terrible massacre broke out in Nanjing. I saw then photographs of mutilated people … I saw Japanese soldiers who were photographed next to the women they raped, naked, defiled, who, judging by their postures, were going to be killed. A little earlier, our aunt brought us children reproductions from the Louvre. One of the paintings – “The Source” by Ingres – then made the strongest impression on me in all the few years of my life. In my mind, the image of this naked woman was forever superimposed on the images of those other women, defamed, humiliated and condemned to death. Since then, these two themes – beauty and evil – haunt me. At that moment I realized that one cannot talk about beauty without thinking about the problem of evil. And, on the contrary, one cannot focus oneself exclusively on evil, one must also see the other end of the universe – the beauty that justifies our earthly existence and thanks to which it is worth living.
“Beauty is not just a combination of external features, but also a desire for beauty, an impulse for beauty, that is, for the fullness and harmony of existence next to other people who are also striving for beauty. The beauty of a person is given by the work of his soul, which, so to speak, spiritualizes his whole being from within. As for a more or less pleasant or beautiful appearance, this is only an appendage.
Take a look at the Mona Lisa, for example. Her beauty lies in her eyes, in her smile and maybe in her voice. We do not hear him, but her lips allow us to feel that this woman, woven from many desires and dreams, wants to say something.