Why do people look so grim in old European art? Why don't they ever smile?
Until surprisingly recently, laughter was seen as disgraceful and unhealthy, a form of mockery and social policing of the unworthy and nonconforming. Smiles, even just showing the teeth, were signs of low character.
And then it all changed completely.
We live in a world where smiles mean happiness, where laughter is seen as an innocent expression of joy, where you can smile and even laugh in public.
What happened?
Working artist Alessandra Kelley digs into a mystery of art history - Why almost all of the smiles you see in old European art are on criminals and lowlifes. Why in old art people who are supposed to be happ...