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The Reception of Antiquity in Modern Cosmetic Advertising and Marketing

I’m Your Venus

The Reception of Antiquity in Modern Cosmetic Advertising and Marketing cover

The Reception of Antiquity in Modern Cosmetic Advertising and Marketing

I’m Your Venus

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Pre-order. Available Jan 21 2027
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Description

An exploration of how, since the 19th century, the modern cosmetic industry has drawn on classical images and references to create a perception of idealised beauty as a way of advertising the products. Using visual, literary, documentary and archaeological evidence, the contributors offer up a series of different case studies to show how antiquity has been used in cosmetic advertising and marketing. Each chapter features a wide range of case studies addressing a variety of cosmetics, from make up to menstrual products and from perfume to skin cream.

Starting by looking at the interaction of cosmetic advertising with Hollywood films and the notion of ancient knowledge as a political propaganda tool, contributors move on to discuss the prominence of certain ancient figures – divine or human – in the modern cosmetic industry, and how are they are used to promote various, often toxic, standards, such as whiteness or exoticism (which are not mutually exclusive in cosmetic advertising), thinness, femininity and masculinity, and youth. The final sections of the book take a deep dive into particular cosmetic types. While the illustrations in the book bring the topics to life, readers can also find an online exhibition at https://makeupmuseum.org/im-your-venus/.

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Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
List of Contributors

Introduction (Jane Draycott, University of Glasgow and Laurence Totelin, Cardiff University, UK)

Part 1: Cinema, Entertainment and Cosmetics

1. The Black Venus: Josephine Baker and Early Twentieth Century Cosmetics (Grace McGowan, Boston University, USA)

2. Sphinx Pink Lipstick and Salome Red Nail Polish: Marketing Cosmetics and Ancient World Epics in Studio-Era Hollywood (Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, Cardiff University, UK)

3. Selling Personal Glamour: Jergens Lotion, Neronian Decadence, and Christian Purity (Lauren Ginsberg, Duke University, USA)

4. Actually, I'm Your Venus: Reading KKW Body as Sculpture (Hallie Franks, NYU Gallatin, USA)

Part 2: Queens, Goddesses and Gods

5. Semiramis, Dido, Zenobia and Other 'Historically Famous Oriental Queens' as Advertising Icons in a 1911 Palmolive Cosmetics Campaign (Anja Wieber, Dortmund University, Germany)

6. The Use of Cleopatra VII in Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Soap Advertising (Jane Draycott, University of Glasgow, UK)

7. The Goddess Remixed: Situating Lime Crime's Venus Range from the Blog to the Temple (Rhiannon Easterbrook, Institute of Classical Studies, UK)

8. Looking Back in Beauty: Orpheus and Eurydice in the Cosmetics Industry (Stacie Raucci, Union College, USA)

9. Eros Invictus? Scenting the (Greek) Male Body (Ricarda Meisl, New York University, USA)

Part 3: Perfumes

10. The Fragrance of Places we Have Not Known (Sean Coughlin, Academy of Science of the Czech Republic, Czech Republic)

11. Responses to Greek and Roman Archaeological Containers in Modern Perfume and Cosmetic Packaging (Thomas J. Derrick, University of Leicester, UK)

12. Perfume Advertising Strategies and Classical Antiquity: Roles and Meaning of Greek and Roman Reference in Long-Term Marketing Campaigns (Claire Mercier, University Franche-Comté, and Fabien Bievre-Perrin, University of Lorraine, France)

Part 4: Hygiene, Skincare and Class

13. Bloody Moon Review: Selene's myth, Between Hegemony and Antagonism in Contemporary Menstruation Brands and Advertisements (Anna Chiara Corradino, University of Bologna, Italy)

14. 'Complexion is the Principal Seat of Beauty': Antiquity and Hygiene in Early Twentieth Century French Cream Advertising (Laurence Totelin, Cardiff University, UK)

Afterward (Hillary Belzer, Makeup Museum, USA)

Notes
Bibliography
Index

Product details

Bloomsbury Academic Test
Published Jan 21 2027
Format Ebook (Epub & Mobi)
Edition 1st
Pages 256
ISBN 9781350455337
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Illustrations 41 bw illus
Series IMAGINES – Classical Receptions in the Visual and Performing Arts
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Anthology Editor

Jane Draycott

Jane Draycott is Lecturer in Ancient History at th…

Anthology Editor

Laurence Totelin

Laurence Totelin is Reader in Ancient History at C…

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