In Monday's post we looked at the 96th Academy Awards ceremony and mentioned how "Poor Things" by Yorgos Lanthimos won several Oscars, among the others for Best Costume Design (the talented Holly Waddington) and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. The latter went to Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston.
Stacey, the chief hair and make-up artist, used hairstyles symbolically in the film: the story opens with Bella's suicide with the camera lingering on the back of her head. In this scene hair is pinned up in the fashion that was popular for women of polite society. However, Bella's journey takes a transformative turn as she is resurrected by Dr. Baxter, who gives her the mind of an infant.
As her mind expands, the sleeves of her gowns become bigger and bigger, and, as her character faces the complexities of life afresh, her hairstyles reflect her evolving persona, with her once-constrained locks now flowing freely, mirroring her newfound sense of autonomy. Symbolically, her decision to wear her hair down serves as a visual testament to her refusal to conform to the societal norms that seek to confine and dictate women's lives.
Hair can be used in a symbolical way in a film context, but also on the runway: during the latest shows we have seen daring experiments with human hair, and pondered a bit about surrealist effects achievable with this versatile material. From garments adorned with sprouting strands to intricately woven tops crafted from hair, designers have embraced the unconventional to push the boundaries of sartorial expression.
But if you want to get more hair inspirations and you happen to be in Italy, try visiting "Faustina's Braids: Hairstyles, Women, and Power in the Renaissance" at Gallerie d'Italia in Vicenza (running through April 7th; Gallerie d’Italia is a private network of museums owned by Italian banking group Intesa Sanpaolo, you may find their galleries scattered in the main Italian cities, from Naples to Turin and Milan).
The title refers to one of the most iconic hairstyles in history – the renowned braids of Empress Faustina the Elder, wife of the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius, and a symbol of marital harmony and love.
Often included in Renaissance antiquarian collections and an influence on fashion in the 15th and 16th centuries, Faustina became a celebrated artistic model. Numerous copies and reinterpretations of her sculptures and busts gave great visibility to her eccentric hairstyle that, consisting of an intricate coiffure with braids gathered on top of her head in a basket-like configuration, was admired and emulated for several generations in the Roman world and inspired many during the Renaissance.
The exhibition explores this connection through 70 sculptures, busts, ancient coins, paintings, drawings and printed volumes. Roman busts are employed to make connections with Renaissance style and with the hairstyles in artworks by Giovanni Bellini, Verrocchio and Michelangelo. 
The exhibition unfolds through eight rooms and visitors are invited to discover Faustina's style after a brief introduction provided by Alessandro Varotari (il Padovanino)'s La chioma di Berenice (1649; "Berenice's Hair"), a painting referring to the story of Berenice, wife of Pharaoh Ptolemy III, who cut off her hair and dedicated it to Venus as a sacrifice to bring her husband safely home.
The first room focuses on Faustina the Elder's distinctive hairstyle, a testament to her timeless elegance and influence, while the next room explores the history of female portraiture in Greek and Roman art, showcasing the multifaceted significance of hairstyles in public and private spheres, and their complex social and customary meanings.
Visitors are immersed in the extravagant hairstyles favored by empresses of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, characterized by tiara-like toupees and intricate knotted braids. These elaborate creations, bordering on eccentricity, left an indelible mark on artistic interpretations spanning centuries, inspiring renowned painters and sculptors alike.
In this first section of the exhibition there is a polychrome terracotta head of a woman dating back from the 4th century BC, exuding a modern aesthetic with its meticulously sculpted locks, while Roman busts perfectly recreate the more extravagant fashions of the time.
Visitors are immersed in the hairstyles favored by the empresses of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, characterized by tiara-like toupees, corkscrew ringlets typical of the empresses of the Flavian dynasty (we analyzed this style in a previous post, remember?) and the architectural knotted braids characteristic of the empresses of the Antonine dynasty.
As stated above, the fortunes of their hairstyles lasted a long time: many artists from the 14th century were inspired by them, for example, painter Altichiero decorated the loggia of Cansignorio della Scala's palace with a cycle of profiles of Roman emperors. The hairstyles he painted were borrowed from Roman coins on display in the exhibition. Faustina's hairstyle also influenced the miniature paintings of the time.
As the centuries passed women's hairstyles evolved, reflecting shifting societal norms. Hair was progressively liberated from the constrains that had bound it, a theme analyzed in the third room of the exhibition. The Virgin Annunciate by the late Gothic Tuscan sculptor Francesco di Valdambrino still has her hair demurely restrained by ties and gathered onto her head in a braid, as does the Bust of a Young Woman attributed to the Florentine sculptor Desiderio da Settignano.
Yet, little by little, artists started recreating the same hairstyle with more freedom, as proved by Faustina’s interpretation of Gregorio di Lorenzo, and, while sculptor Pier Jacopo Alari Bonacolsi, known as l'Antico ("the Ancient") offers a more philological interpretation of Faustina, goldsmith and guild master Galeazzo Mondella, the artist known as Il Moderno ("the modern one"), provides us a more fantastic version of her style.
The progressive strategy of eroticizing women's hair emphasized by the ancient images of Medusa with her monstrous mane of snakes, can be seen in the seductive Ancient Heroine by Andrea del Verrocchio, as well as in the Portrait of a Young Woman by Simone Bianco, a Tuscan sculptor active in Venice and in the head of Saint Iphigenia, sculpted in the antique style by a refined artist close to Tullio Lombardo with the intention of completing an ancient headless statue.
More interesting connections are developed in the other rooms that offer comparisons with male hairstyles in paintings such as Tiziano Vecellio's portrait of a Musician (circa 1513), that were products of the revival of classical models combined with more modern sensibilities.
Other rooms offer a focus on Michelangelo's interest in depicting female hair and on the fascination that Faustina's hairstyle had on Neoclassical artists and in particular on Antonio Canova.
Michelangelo's mesmerizing drawings recreate intricate hairstyles adopted by Cleopatra (circa 1534), Zenobia (circa 1560) and the Marchioness of Pescara, Vittoria Colonna (1540-1550). Antonio Canova's masterpieces immortalized the essence of classical beauty and grace (check out the head of Carolina Murat Bonaparte (1813 circa) and the head of Elisa Baciocchi as the muse Polimnia, 1812-1815).
The rooms that close the exhibition ponder on hairstyles as evidence of the new visibility of women in society and their ability to express dress codes suitable for very different contexts, from courts to brothels, and attempt modern comparisons with a final reflection on the attention shown by cinema to both ancient and modern women's hairstyles.
This section may have been enriched by referenced to fashion, considering also the portraits of Isabella d’Este and Eleonora da Toledo that offer great fashion connections. Isabella d'Este also used to wear a balzo, headdress worn by noblewomen of Italy in the 1530s. It was donut-shaped but appeared turban-like from the front, though it was generally worn further back from the forehead exposing the hair, unlike a period turban. It is assumed as a fashion invention by Isabella d'Este, first documented in letters in 1509 and 1512. Somehow the balzo also seems to evoke the voluminous piled up hairstyles of Roman ladies (check out the "Testa Fonseca", early 2nd century AD, included in the event.
Among the paintings and sculptures there is also a curio, a glass object case with a lock of Lucrezia Borgia's hair, but the illustrations from some of the volumes on display remain among the most intriguing inspirations of this event (Cesare Vecellio's Habito di gentildonne antiche alla Dogalina fuor di casa, in Degli habiti antichi, et moderni di diverse parti del mondo, Venice 1590; Giovanni Guerra's Varie acconciature di Teste usate da nobilissime Dame in diverse Cittadi d'Italia, Rome, circa 1589; and Enea Vico's Le imagini delle donne auguste intagliate in istampa di rame; con le vite, et ispositioni di Enea Vico, sopra i riversi delle loro medaglie antiche. Libro primo, Venice, 1557).
Some fashionistas may not be too interested in looking at Roman, Greek or Renaissance art, but the exhibition transcends mere historical inquiry, offering a reflection on the enduring relevance of antiquities in shaping contemporary sensibilities.
The legacy of ancient hairstyles continues indeed to inspire innovation and creativity, bridging the past with the future in an ongoing dialogue of beauty and expression as evidenced by modern interpretations on the fashion runway.
For example, Guido Palau created for Prada's A/W 24 show graphic hairstyles with swirls and curves (View this photo). Sure, they didn't look like Faustina’s braids, as they were inspired by different eras, from the '30s and the '40s to the '60s, besides they also borrowed from Art Nouveau. Yet .the models' hair gelled, shaped and sculpted into wave-like swirls creating dynamic movement called to mind the hairstyles of the ladies portrayed in this exhibition (such as Desiderio da Settignano's bust of a young woman).
If creating the future means building on the past, exhibitions about antiquity can therefore provide us with intriguing ideas and inspirations.
Image credits for this post
1, 2, 11, 12, 14, 15 and 16.
Installation views "Faustina's Braids: Hairstyles, Women, and Power in the Renaissance" at Gallerie d'Italia in Vicenza, courtesy of Gallerie d'Italia
3.
Alessandro Varotari, known as il Padovanino
(Padua, 1588 – Venice, 1649)
La chioma di Berenice, before 1649
Oil on canvas, 150,5 x 117 cm
Gallo Fine Art Collection
4. Rome, Empire, Antoninus Pius (138-161 AD) for Faustina the Elder
Aureus, minted in Rome, from 141 AD
Gold, aureus, 7.23 g, 19.68 mm, 180°
Legends: Obverse (D/): DIVA FAVSTINA;
Reverse (R/): AVG-VSTA
Rome, National Roman Museum, Coin Cabinet, inventory 34386
Courtesy of the Ministry of Culture – National Roman Museum
5, 6.
Portrait bust of a female with a hairstyle inspired by Faustina the Elder, 140-150 AD circa
Cast and engraved bronze, base in red Levanto marble
Florence, National Archaeological Museum,
Courtesy of the National Archaeological Museum of Florence (Regional Directorate of Museums of Tuscany)
7, 8, 9. 10.
Portrait bust of Faustina the Younger, 161-170 AD circa
White marble, height 70.9 cm,
The Royal Collection / His Majesty King Charles III
Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King
Charles III 2023
13.
Andrea di Michele, known as il Verrocchio
(Florence, 1436 – Venice, 1488)
Ancient heroine (Olimpias?), 1461-1464 circa
Marble, bas-relief, 48 x 31.50 x 8.50 cm
Milan, Museum of Ancient Art at the Sforza Castle
Museum of Ancient Art at the Sforza Castle – © City of Milan/Ranzani
17, 18, 19.
Desiderio da Settignano (attributed to)
(Settignano, circa 1428-1431 – Florence, 1464)
Bust of young woman, 1455 circa
Marble, height 47 cm
Florence, Bargello National Museum
© Claudio Giusti