Contest for the Most Beautiful Woman in Italian Art

| Wed, 07/13/2011 - 06:12

Paulina Borghese has been declared the most beautiful woman ever depicted in the history of Italian art.

The Marilena Ferrari Foundation decided to examine the tradition of female beauty in art by commissioning a survey to determine the most exquisite woman immortalized by Italian artists.

From ancient marble sculptures to Renaissance paintings, researchers searched for the most magnificent examples of female beauty created by Italian hands.

The search crowned Paulina Borghese, sister of Napoleon, the most beautiful. She is depicted semi-nude, reclining on a sofa, holding an apple in a sculpture by Canova.

In second place is the Callipygian Venus from the Hellenistic period.

The Mona Lisa ranked a disappointing 62nd on the beauty survey.