The Smile Revolution

In Eighteenth-Century Paris

Nonfiction, History, France, Health & Well Being, Medical
Cover of the book The Smile Revolution by Colin Jones CBE, OUP Oxford
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Colin Jones CBE ISBN: 9780191024856
Publisher: OUP Oxford Publication: September 25, 2014
Imprint: OUP Oxford Language: English
Author: Colin Jones CBE
ISBN: 9780191024856
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Publication: September 25, 2014
Imprint: OUP Oxford
Language: English

You could be forgiven for thinking that the smile has no history; it has always been the same. However, just as different cultures in our own day have different rules about smiling, so did different societies in the past. In fact, amazing as it might seem, it was only in late eighteenth century France that western civilization discovered the art of the smile. In the 'Old Regime of Teeth' which prevailed in western Europe until then, smiling was quite literally frowned upon. Individuals were fatalistic about tooth loss, and their open mouths would often have been visually repulsive. Rules of conduct dating back to Antiquity disapproved of the opening of the mouth to express feelings in most social situations. Open and unrestrained smiling was associated with the impolite lower orders. In late eighteenth-century Paris, however, these age-old conventions changed, reflecting broader transformations in the way people expressed their feelings. This allowed the emergence of the modern smile par excellence: the open-mouthed smile which, while highlighting physical beauty and expressing individual identity, revealed white teeth. It was a transformation linked to changing patterns of politeness, new ideals of sensibility, shifts in styles of self-presentation - and, not least, the emergence of scientific dentistry. These changes seemed to usher in a revolution, a revolution in smiling. Yet if the French revolutionaries initially went about their business with a smile on their faces, the Reign of Terror soon wiped it off. Only in the twentieth century would the white-tooth smile re-emerge as an accepted model of self-presentation. In this entertaining, absorbing, and highly original work of cultural history, Colin Jones ranges from the history of art, literature, and culture to the history of science, medicine, and dentistry, to tell a unique and untold story about a facial expression at the heart of western civilization.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

You could be forgiven for thinking that the smile has no history; it has always been the same. However, just as different cultures in our own day have different rules about smiling, so did different societies in the past. In fact, amazing as it might seem, it was only in late eighteenth century France that western civilization discovered the art of the smile. In the 'Old Regime of Teeth' which prevailed in western Europe until then, smiling was quite literally frowned upon. Individuals were fatalistic about tooth loss, and their open mouths would often have been visually repulsive. Rules of conduct dating back to Antiquity disapproved of the opening of the mouth to express feelings in most social situations. Open and unrestrained smiling was associated with the impolite lower orders. In late eighteenth-century Paris, however, these age-old conventions changed, reflecting broader transformations in the way people expressed their feelings. This allowed the emergence of the modern smile par excellence: the open-mouthed smile which, while highlighting physical beauty and expressing individual identity, revealed white teeth. It was a transformation linked to changing patterns of politeness, new ideals of sensibility, shifts in styles of self-presentation - and, not least, the emergence of scientific dentistry. These changes seemed to usher in a revolution, a revolution in smiling. Yet if the French revolutionaries initially went about their business with a smile on their faces, the Reign of Terror soon wiped it off. Only in the twentieth century would the white-tooth smile re-emerge as an accepted model of self-presentation. In this entertaining, absorbing, and highly original work of cultural history, Colin Jones ranges from the history of art, literature, and culture to the history of science, medicine, and dentistry, to tell a unique and untold story about a facial expression at the heart of western civilization.

More books from OUP Oxford

Cover of the book Hate Speech and Democratic Citizenship by Colin Jones CBE
Cover of the book The Sultan's Renegades by Colin Jones CBE
Cover of the book The Hidden Chorus by Colin Jones CBE
Cover of the book The History of Cinema: A Very Short Introduction by Colin Jones CBE
Cover of the book Oxford Handbook of Clinical Skills for Children's and Young People's Nursing by Colin Jones CBE
Cover of the book A Practical Guide to Public Procurement by Colin Jones CBE
Cover of the book A Dictionary of Disaster Management by Colin Jones CBE
Cover of the book The Oxford Handbook of the Oxford Movement by Colin Jones CBE
Cover of the book The Coherence of EU Free Movement Law by Colin Jones CBE
Cover of the book Inside the Compassionate Organization by Colin Jones CBE
Cover of the book Socialism and the Experience of Time by Colin Jones CBE
Cover of the book Paris Street Tales by Colin Jones CBE
Cover of the book Belinda by Colin Jones CBE
Cover of the book Charles I and the People of England by Colin Jones CBE
Cover of the book Plague: A Very Short Introduction by Colin Jones CBE
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy