You Wont Believe What These Historical Figures Actually Looked Like
When we were in school (or sometimes even earlier), we become acquainted with historical figures like Queen Elizabeth I and George Washington. Usually, we saw a nice portrait of the person we’re learning about, but what we didn’t realize is that most of these images aren’t correct. What we mean is that many of these historical figures looked a lot different than that pretty painting. Shocker, we know.
Fun fact: artists used to get paid on commission. When they painted something, they’d get paid if the person liked the art. That meant the artist would paint their subject as beautiful as they could – maybe they’d even get a big tip. Because of this, people (especially royals) look a lot different than their supposed portraits.
We stumbled upon images of what historical figures actually looked like, and we had to share. Honestly, we never thought that some of these historical figures would look that much different from their art.
Funny enough this isn’t an antiquated concept, surely you know of a handy little something called photoshop? Oh, yes, you do! Those Instagram filters and editing apps aren’t a new idea. Everyone, even in the 1100s, wants to be seen as beautiful! So, we can’t blame them for forcing their artists to paint them as kindly as possible. Here’s what 24 historic figures actually looked like.
George Washington
Did you know...
- Jackie Kennedy is famous for redecorating and renovating the interior of the White House. Actually, on just her first day, she ordered $50,000 in changes for new rooms for the children and upgrades to the kitchen. She later hosted a tour of the White House for CBS News which was viewed by 56 million people and won her an Emmy Award.
- Paris Hilton not only lives in a mansion, she also built a doghouse mansion for her Chihuahua. It's 300 square feet and includes air conditioning and heating. It comes decked out with designer furniture, a chandelier, a pink paint job, second-floor balcony, and enclosed "yard." It's not enough for you to live in luxury. Your dog must, as well.
- Jennifer Aniston's star-defining role on friends started a hair craze in the 90s that even lasted into the early 2000s. Called "The Rachel," Aniston's shoulder-length haircut had grown-out bangs and highlights styled to perfection. A hairdresser in Detroit noted that at the peak of its popularity, 40% of her business was devoted to recreating "The Rachel." Too bad that it was notoriously difficult to maintain on your own at home.
- When Rihanna debuted her famous red locks in 2010 (around the same time she was featured on Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie"), she started a red-hair trend. Over the next twelve months, she changed her hairstyle 13 times—more than once a month! But that came at a pricey cost. Sources say the annual price tag came out to $1,168,000 on just her hair.
- After her role as First Lady came to an end, Jackie Kennedy went into the publishing business. She became an associate editor at Doubleday and worked mostly on autobiographies. In fact, she was one of two original editors for Michael Jackson's 2009 autobiography Moonwalk, a #1 New York Times bestseller.