✨ Why does everyone look so serious in old paintings?

Ever noticed how people in classical paintings always look like they’re mad at someone?

No smiles, no emotion  just intense stares.

The reasons are pretty simple:

No cameras! Portraits were expensive and time consuming.

One wrong move= messed up face. People had to sit still for hours.

Serious = classy. Smiling in portraits was considered... kinda inappropriate.

🎨 Artists were going for grandeur, not giggles.

fixed it for ya, 
I looked for your post about this on Twitter and thought I was losing my mind because couldn't find it there, lol.

I am overthink (paint) ing

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Never thought of it that way! interesting point of view!

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Interesting 😄
Have thought about this before

Because they had to stay still for ours so no facial expression was easier to maintain longer ;)

I think in some of Bosch's paintings, people sometimes smile