Luanne Kolirin's writes an interesting piece on CNN$,$ called Conservators restore $17$th$-$century portrait of noblewoman to remove cosmetic touch$-$ups. She shares the story of a $17$th$-$century portrait of a noblewoman named Cecil. This isnt any ordinary portrait but one that has been through the hands of time and change. Cecil, known to be the great$-$granddaughter of William Cecil, and confidant to Queen Elizabeth I, was one of the great beauties of the age" According to English Heritages. Though her portrait was significantly modified to enhance her beauty, most likely to reflect the beauty standards of that time, giving her fuller lips and a smaller forehead. These alterations are believed to have been done in the late $19$th or early $20$th century. The conservation efforts peeled back layers of old varnish, restoring Cecil's original features. This process also revealed the signature of the artist, Cornelius Johnson, and an earlier date of creation, $1634,$ which was four years earlier than previously thought. This restoration project is so fascinating because it didn't just revive the true image of Cecil, but it also rewrote a small part of art history. This story really goes to show that the concept of airbrushing to meet beauty standards, isn't as modern as we think.

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