In praise of the voluptuous



Fascinating conversation at the National Portrait Gallery in response to the Lucien Freud exhibition looking at the role larger figures have had in art and how contemporary society deals with size.

Art historian Leslie Primo looked at the art historic aspect of the larger figure pointing out that it is only in recent years that thin figures have been regarded as attractive and that in many countries thinness is equated with poverty. Of course Rubens figured prominently!

Charlotte Cooper, a fat activist, talked about how fat is viewed in contemporary society and talked about how fat people in newspapers are often depicted with out headless, dubbed by her the “headless fatties”!

Justin Varney, a public health doctor, talked about health perceptions of weight and how fat people were not necessarily more unhealthy than thinner people despite public opinion.

There was a fascinating, rather affirming conversation about size issues. I loved Justin’s statement that what is important in life is “finding a way of being at peace with yourself”. The conversation had rather a gay bias and I would have liked a bit more on percept of weight in straight society where I suspect more of the prejudice comes from.  

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