Back in the fifteenth century, Leonardo da Vinci himself wrote drawings that are able to display the ideal proportions of the face and the symmetry of the face of a person and body, including those that are still the standard.

But, in these proportions there is one moment, namely, in wildlife there are simply no absolutely ideal symmetrical faces, in any object there will be a drop of asymmetry.

For a long time, people have been looking for an opportunity to measure beauty, or to describe it using the proportions of geometry and mathematical formulas, thereby creating the possibility of recreating ideal objects.

This is how in Ancient Greece the harmony and orderliness that is displayed in nature was personified in the images of goddesses and gods, in the form of statues.

What does symmetry represent?

The answer is proportionality, harmony and harmony of human and natural bodies - this is what the Greek sculptors thought.

That is why the concepts of beauty and symmetry are identical. Enough memories of a strictly symmetrical object of architectural monuments that repeat the patterns of standard ornaments, and the excellent harmony of vases of the ancient Greek era.

The fact of symmetry of the face and torso

In humans, it was popular with sculptors and artists of that era, and was used by them to give spirituality and expressiveness to the resulting works.

Face of Venus de Milo

A rather striking example is the face of the Venus de Milo. People who pay attention to the symmetry of all objects criticized the asymmetry of the forms of the ideal of female beauty, suggesting that the face of Miloskaya would be even more beautiful if it had an asymmetry.

But if you look at compositional photographs, you can immediately understand that this is not so.

Harmony

The concept of symmetry is mainly associated with harmony.

Symmetry comes from a word from the ancient Greek era called “proportionality,” which means something slightly proportional and harmonious in an object. A concept called mirror symmetry is used for humans.

Such symmetry is considered the main source of aesthetic admiration for a rather well-built body of a man or woman.

Functionality

It is this symmetry of the face that has its share of functionality, and not just beauty. Thus, a symmetrical arrangement of the eyes makes it possible to look at the world correctly, that is, the visual image becomes ideal, symmetrical limbs can allow a person to move in space very easily, and a smooth nasal septum can give a person even breathing.

But the symmetry of all living things on Earth is not formed with mathematical accuracy, because there is no uniformity of function and development.

Beauty standards

Throughout life, beauty standards have changed and are changing, but the parameters and principles that can determine the relationships and proportions of the human appearance and facial attractiveness have been preserved.

In order for the human face to be harmonious, its different parts must be related in a certain proportion, with the help of which everything leads to an overall balance.

No part of the human face functions or exists in isolation from the others. Any transformation of any particular part of the human face will be able to have a real or apparent effect on the perception of other parts of the face in general.

Of course, all proportions of the face have an approximate value for its aesthetics due to subsequent reasons.

Rules of proportionality

It is in this way that the fact of the asymmetry of the human face, which is expressed by the unequal left and right halves, one of which, as a rule, is higher and wider, and the other is lower, is currently considered generally recognized.

Candidate of Medical Sciences, plastic surgeon ""

Back in the 15th century, Leonardo da Vinci created drawings that depict the “divine” proportions of the human face and body, which are still the standard (Fig. 1). However, these proportions do not take into account the fact that absolutely symmetrical objects do not exist in living nature: in any of them there is always a unity of symmetry and asymmetry.

Rice. 1.

Throughout history, people have tried to "measure" beauty, to describe it using mathematical formulas or geometric proportions, thereby making it possible to recreate it. So, in ancient Greece, the order and harmony observed in nature was personified in the shining images of gods and goddesses, immortalized in beautiful statues.

According to Greek sculptors, symmetry characterizes the harmony, proportionality, harmony of natural bodies and the human body. Therefore, the concepts of symmetry and beauty are identical. Suffice it to recall the strictly symmetrical construction of architectural monuments, regularly repeating patterns of traditional ornaments, the amazing harmony of Greek vases (Fig. 2).

The fact of the asymmetry of the face and body of a person was known to the artists and sculptors of the ancient world and was used by them to give expressiveness and spirituality to the created works.

A striking example of asymmetry is the face of the Venus de Milo (Fig. 3). Supporters of symmetry criticized the asymmetry of the forms of this universally recognized standard of female beauty, believing that the face of Venus would be more beautiful if it were symmetrical. However, looking at compositional photographs, we see that this is not the case.

The very concept of “symmetry” is directly related to harmony. It comes from the ancient Greek word συμμετρία (proportionality) and means something harmonious and proportional in an object. The concept of “mirror” symmetry is applicable to humans. This symmetry is the main source of our aesthetic admiration for the well-proportioned human body.

This symmetry is not only beautiful, but also functional. So, symmetrical limbs make it easy to move in space, the location of the eyes - to create the correct visual image, a flat nasal septum provides adequate breathing. However, the symmetry of living organisms is not manifested with mathematical accuracy due to uneven development and function.

Facial symmetry and beauty standards

Over time, beauty standards have changed, but the principles and parameters that determine the ratios and proportions of the face, and, accordingly, its attractiveness, have been preserved since ancient times. In order for the face to be harmonious, its various parts must be related in a certain proportion, with the help of which an overall balance is achieved. No part of the face exists or functions in isolation from the others. Any change in any particular part of the face will have a true or apparent effect on the perception of other parts and the face as a whole.

It is natural that all proportions of the human face have only an approximate value for its aesthetics due to several reasons:

• Firstly, facial proportions change depending on a person’s age, gender, physical development and are largely determined by individual structural features
• Secondly, the assessment of proportionality becomes more difficult depending on the position of the head
• The third difficulty lies in the asymmetry of the human face, which often manifests itself in the shape of the nose, the position of the eye slits and eyebrows, and the position of the corners of the mouth. The two sides of a face do not produce the same mirror image, even if the face is perceived by us as perfectly correct.

Thus, the fact of facial asymmetry, expressed by the disparity of the right and left halves, one of which, as a rule, is wider and higher, the other narrower and lower, is generally accepted today.

From the photographs presented in Fig. 4, it is clear that absolutely symmetrical faces are clearly different from the original image of a face with natural asymmetry. In our opinion, “synthetic” symmetrical faces seem less attractive, as in the original photographs, although we selected the faces of actors whose appearance was rated most highly to create composite portraits. Moreover, it is these faces that are distinguished by more pronounced symmetry than is observed in most people, but slight asymmetry only emphasizes their attractiveness.

Beauty in asymmetry?

So, is the asymmetry inherent in all of us actually beautiful or not? It is quite obvious that we do not consider significant violations of symmetry in the structure of the face attractive. However, small deviations from symmetry do not introduce disharmony, but only favorably highlight individuality.

Most patients who turn to a plastic surgeon do not notice the asymmetry of the proportions of their face and body. Therefore, one of the important tasks of the surgeon during the consultation is to draw the patient's attention to the features of his proportions, to describe in detail the upcoming changes as a result of the operation. Correction of facial asymmetry is greatly facilitated by the use of minimally invasive methods, such as and.

So, pronounced asymmetry is usually considered unaesthetic, and in such cases, the desire to achieve a more symmetrical appearance is quite natural and may serve as an indication for plastic surgery. However, a slight asymmetry of the face only makes it attractive and individual, and therefore you should not strive for absolute symmetry.

- this is a sign of an imbalance and the manifestation of those features that must be interpreted, since they are the ones who emphasize the brightness of the individual’s individuality. Only ideal faces are symmetrical, and they are very rare. Some physiognomists associate facial symmetry with honesty, believing that a symmetrical face belongs to a truly sincere person, while a crooked, asymmetrical one reflects dishonesty, the “duplicity” of a person. How true is this statement? Observe, pay special attention to how the left and right sides of a person’s face differ. This will improve your skill.

There are many types of asymmetries in our appearance. Let's start with the asymmetry of our brain. It consists of the left and right hemispheres, which work differently for most people. Some of them are leading and influence how a person interacts with information and the world around him. A person is not born with functional asymmetry of the hemispheres. The “specialization” of the hemispheres is promoted. The left hemisphere dominates among representatives; they approach the solution of any issue from a logical point of view, analyze, look for a suitable theory to prove, and rely more on calculation than on intuition. The right hemisphere works more often in those who rely more on feelings than on logical analysis of events; they often think in pictures.

Asymmetry in facial width. The best development of the left half of the skull can be seen in mentally active people - lawyers, physicists, mathematicians, etc. And artists, painters, sculptors, writers have a better developed right half. But both of these phenomena are more clearly visible in people who have been active in one of these areas for many years.

Asymmetries in the intellectual zone often appear in the form. One person may appear swollen, as if from a blow with a fist, or be. Other asymmetries concern. One may be located deeper than the other, or they may be. Slight asymmetry creates positive tension for a person, which gives energy and activates his will to achieve his goal. Strong asymmetries characterize a complex, contradictory personality.

Among asymmetries of the emotional zone the most noticeable curvature of the shape of the nose.

Asymmetries in the vital zone determined by the form. may be at different heights or have different directions (one is up, the other is down). This type of asymmetry is of particular importance because this area gives (or takes away) energy from all personality traits.

The right and left halves of the face are different from each other. Having become accustomed to our mirror image, we sometimes do not recognize ourselves in a photograph or videotape.

Sometimes they say that only a symmetrical face with regular features can be beautiful. But if you look closely at the portraits and faces of people traditionally considered standards of beauty, you can see more than one sign of asymmetry in them. Try placing a mirror on the vertical axis of Gioconda’s face so that you can take turns observing its right and left sides. You will see, perhaps unexpectedly, a not very attractive image of a usually beautiful portrait.

If you add up portraits of a person from only the right and only from the left parts, you will get two different faces. The “right” one retains the physiognomy of the face, but at the same time looks older, and the “left” one seems younger, but loses its individuality. This is clearly visible in the mounted photographs.

Anyone can create the same versions of their faces if they wish. To do this, you just need to print photographs from a regular and reversed negative, cut them vertically, passing through the middle of the nose, lips, chin, and connect the right image with the right, and the left with the left. Then you can try to create a description of character traits based on a left-sided, right-sided and regular portrait.

The right side of the face, as Simon Brown argues in his book, is usually more expressive than the left, and represents our basic emotions and points of view, as well as our personal, internal character traits and creativity. In addition, it reflects the traits of female relatives. The left side of the face represents logical thinking and accepted social masks, represents the person we want to appear to other people. The left-sided image reflects the facial features of male relatives.

On the same basis, the method of Avtandil Nikolaevich Anuashvili (Russian professor, Doctor of Technical Sciences, head of the laboratory of the Institute of Management Problems named after V.A. Trapeznikov RAS, 2003) was developed. He discovered that the human face serves as a kind of background, reflecting the development of each of the cerebral hemispheres. As already indicated, each of the cerebral hemispheres is reflected on the corresponding side of a person’s face. And if one side reflects calm and confidence, then the second at the same time can express fears and confusion.

In life, we usually do not notice these differences - we perceive the face of each person as a whole, without noticing many individual details and nuances. The professor created a computer program that synthesizes two separate portraits - from the right and left parts of the face. Analyzing the differences between the obtained portraits, experts compose a person’s personal characteristics, determine his psychological type, state of physical and mental health. This allows you to better understand a person’s inner world, build his “spiritual” and “life” portraits and, on the basis of this, give recommendations on creative capabilities, professional suitability, and possible health problems. Initially, the method was created to help people suffering from psychological disorders. Observing and comparing his “life” and “spiritual” portraits, the patient mentally notes the features that he does not like, and at the subconscious level, a correction mechanism is triggered. Already at the next session, after some time, the computer produces portraits of a much more harmonious and balanced person. The scope of the method is constantly expanding. The program helps a person better understand his abilities, suggests in which areas of activity he can more fully express himself and achieve greater success. A.N. Anuashvili says: “Having restored the connection between logic and intuition, a person discovers hidden reserves in himself. Before widely using this method, I tested it on myself, loved ones and colleagues. My son was an average student in the sixth grade, and after computer psychoanalysis he graduated from high school at the age of 14, passing exams brilliantly for subsequent grades, and is now preparing to enter college. After computer auto-correction sessions, to my own amazement, I discovered musical abilities: today I can play musical instruments and even compose music...”
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By the way, dead people have symmetrical faces. However, our faces change throughout our lives.

Symmetry and asymmetry of faces. What is their secret? Why are we so attracted to symmetrical faces? It is known that in the 15th century, Leonardo da Vinci created drawings showing the standard proportions of the human face and body. But in living nature, absolutely symmetrical objects do not exist. However, those who are lucky enough to have a very close to symmetrical face have probably noticed that they are popular with the opposite sex. Moreover, the fact of having a symmetrical face may also indicate the excellent health of its owner. Even the common cold almost always recedes in people whose left side of the body exactly follows the contours of the right side.

Symmetry is related to the effects of testosterone and estrogen in humans. Men with symmetrical faces appear more masculine, while women appear more feminine. Such faces indicate that a person is generated by a large number of genes. Research into facial symmetry has shown that a highly asymmetrical face turns people off. A symmetrical face serves as a stimulating factor. This is explained by the fact that throughout evolution, people sought to reproduce with those whom they perceived as healthier individuals. A symmetrical face indicates healthy genes.

By the way, dead people have symmetrical faces. However, our faces change throughout our lives. Facial asymmetry is synonymous with life. A person is born with an asymmetrical face. His left and right sides are completely different. The greater the difference between them, the more perfect a person is mentally, spiritually and creatively. It is thanks to asymmetry that young faces are so expressive - with bright features. And over the years, the face seems to smooth out and blur. The death of a person expresses absolute symmetry. At the same time, according to some researchers, people do not die from diseases or accidents. The time comes, the asymmetry of the face is leveled, and the person leaves this world.

And if we return to the question of facial symmetry, it is worth noting that we are looking at entire faces, and not at the symmetry of individual parts. The person looks at faces from left to right. Our brains can only evaluate one half of a face at a time. Therefore, we often do not notice the difference between the right and left sides. Of course, we can notice significant violations of symmetry, and minor deviations from symmetry do not introduce disharmony, but only favorably highlight the individuality of the person in front of us.

On the one hand, symmetry is often cited as one of the main indicators of facial beauty. On the other hand, simply combining halves of photographs in Photoshop gives an unattractive result. But maybe it’s a matter of insufficiently careful installation? Let's check.

Let's take well-known examples and remake them to your taste.In most cases, we left hairstyles and necks untouched, because we were talking about the symmetry of the face, not the hairstyle, while strands of identical hair ideally diverging to the right and left only interfere with perception.

To avoid confusion, we will call the left side the one on the left in the photo, and the right side the one on the right in the photo.

1. Anne Hathaway

Option from the Internet:not a very good original photo - one side of the face is illuminated, the other is in shadow, so the comparison of the halves is no longer equal.

But even here it is noticeable that the combination of the illuminated parts of the face turned out to be very good. Only the nose is inaccurately processed, the joint is visible.

Our option: take a less beautiful photograph, but with more uniform lighting.

And we see that the difference is not so great. Anne has fairly symmetrical features, so both options turned out to be undeniably pretty. And I think the option on the right is definitely more beautiful than the original.

2. John Mayer

Option from the Internet: again an unsuccessful source - the head is raised, moreover, the gaze is turned to the side, which when combining the halves guarantees a strange appearance.

However, even if you don’t pay attention to the hairstyle and the squint, I wouldn’t say that the resulting features are bad.

Our option: again we take a not very pretty photo, but with uniform lighting. Here, for comparison, the asymmetry of the mouth and nose is noticeable.

We get a thin, gloomy Mayer and a thick, gentle one. In my opinion, both are just as good as the original.

3. Kristen Stewart

Option from the Internet: again a rough joint on the nose in combining the illuminated sides, but the resulting face is quite attractive, and is not even devoid of Kristen’s signature facial expressions. It's worse with the darkened halves - a completely different girl.

Our option:

Both are cute. The original photo is a little livelier and more interesting, but again there is nothing scary about the symmetry.

4. Bill Murray

Option from the Internet: good source - in this photo the face is very symmetrical to begin with.

Our option : Therefore, for a change, we took the same photo, only we combined the nose more carefully and kept the original hairstyle. And again the same effect: the original is better due to a more lively facial expression. Please note that the right eye in the photo (in real life the left eye) is more cheerful, the left one is sadder. Perhaps in life this is what makes a face interesting.

5. Brad Pitt

Option from the Internet: Very badly combined nose. I suspect that due to the slight tilt of the head, he turned out so strange.

Our option : in our photo, the head is also tilted, but we will turn it around.

And we will get a completely nice man from the left parts and a frightening robotic man from the right. Well, it didn’t work out, but the face wasn’t exactly taken from the front either. But Brad doesn't need extra symmetry, and he's so good.

6. George Clooney

Option from the Internet: a good example is an even photo, a noticeable asymmetry of the mouth. We get two typical Italians, of whom the right one is friendly and the left one is angry.

Our option : take another photo. There is asymmetry in the cheekbones, but this is more likely due to the slight turn of the head in the photo than natural.

Once again, we end up with two typical Italians. The left one is very good, the right one is rather chubby.

7. Jay-Z

Option from the Internet: very symmetrical face. Therefore, let's leave the original example, the difference is small.

We've combined a few more examples.

8. Angelina Jolie

The left parts fit together perfectly, no worse than the original, the right parts - so-so. For the majority, by the way, this is exactly what happens.

9. Cate Blanchett

Both options are similar to the original. This is what a correct photograph with minimal distortion means.

10. Leonardo DiCaprio

The left one is good again, the right one is simple. In the left version, surprisingly, Leo’s characteristic facial expression is not lost.

What is the conclusion? Symmetry beautifies when the best parts are repeated. And to a greater extent this applies to the nose, to a lesser extent to the eyes and eyebrows. Different eye expressions and one raised eyebrow make the face more interesting.

The lips are ambiguous: Brad Pitt and Clooney are handsome even with their obvious asymmetry. At the same time, I personally saw a lot of examples where it was the asymmetry of the mouth that gave a very unpleasant expression to the face.

In any case, in life, complete symmetry is almost impossible. Not even to mention the hairstyle, facial expressions change arbitrarily, including depending on which side the interlocutor is on (and which side there is a draft). The main thing, as you know, is completely different...