But does it really matter if features – eyes, eyebrows, nose, lips, chin and jaw – match the ancient Greek idea of perfection, or does math not matter?
The Golden Ratio: Proportional Perfection
The concept is also symbolized by the Greek letter Phi (φ), a mathematical constant equal to approximately 1.618033987 and described as the most amazing number in the world in a book by astrophysicist Mario Livio.
The Italian polymath and artist Leonardo Da Vinci used the Pythagorean Golden Ratio in his drawing “The Vitruvian Man,” which for him represented the embodiment of the perfection of the male form. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
The Golden Ratio determines aesthetic perfection in all areas – including art, architecture, design, music, nature and even the financial markets.
It was discovered around 2,400 years ago by the Pythagoreans, a “group of mathematicians who discovered many mathematical truths,” says Thomas Britz, lecturer at UNSW Sydney and mathematician.
Why does the golden ratio make things beautiful?
If you get stuck now, don’t worry, the concept is easier to explain in visual form.
The Pythagoreans took the equilateral and equiangular pentagram as their symbol. Credit: Thomas Britz
A ratio close to 1.618 gives a shape more balance and symmetry, which seems to evoke a feeling of perfection or beauty in the viewer.
“In the pentagram, the four thick black line segments become longer by a fixed ratio φ at each step. For example, the long thick horizontal line φ is longer than the side length of the pentagram. This constant φ is actually the golden ratio,” Britz wrote in his 2022 scientific article “The Beauty of the Golden Ratio.”
What do experts say?
In it he wrote: “There is no record of the ancient Greeks mentioning the Golden Ratio outside of mathematics and numerology, and studies show that φ is very rare in ancient Greek art and architecture.”
“Research shows that physical beauty is related to signs of good health and personal qualities, including average facial features, symmetry, skin texture, emotions and uniqueness.”
