It is common to see celebrity photos that have been retouched or airbrushed by professional photo editors to meet the day’s beauty standards and trends. This practice is so accepted today that there are even apps available to anyone with a smartphone to automatically enhance a photo as you take it.
Historically the depictions of icons like Julius Caesar and composer Johann Sebastian Bach seem to have been exaggerated to meet and even exceed beauty standards through the centuries. Luckily, with modernized technology we are able to generate realistic likenesses of historic figures. Travel in time with this list to see Nefertiti’s natural beauty.
1. The Youth of King Tut
At no more than ten years old King Tutankhamun became the ruler of Egypt in 1332 BC during the powerful New Kingdom era. The child pharaoh only reigned for approximately 10 years. In AD 1922 the ruler we refer to as King Tut was discovered in his elaborate tomb by archaeologist Howard Carter.
Inspection and DNA show King Tut to have bone disorders weakening his tall frame. An evident club foot may illustrate the issues of having sibling parents. This pharaoh who is only depicted seated is also believed to have contracted malaria several times. There is also an indication of an infected broken leg at the time of his death.
2. Nero the Artist Emperor
Nero, the final Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty had his mother killed to escape her dominance. He used his freedom to become active in politics, but undermined his own authority by appearing publicly to revel in the arts like poetry and music. The public became enraged when he raised taxes to afford grandiose works privately and for the public.
Recently, Spanish artists took on the task of creating a lifelike image of Nero. With many artworks and descriptions capturing his likeness it was easy to recreate his image. In AD 64, while the city of Rome was consumed in flames, our artistic emperor dramatically took his own life atop his palace.
3. Natural Beauty of Nefertiti
Nefertiti was the stunning Queen of Egypt, wife of Akhenaten. She and the pharaoh Akhenaten were responsible for inspiring Egypt’s spiritual revolution. In 1912 a bust of her likeness was found in a sculptor’s workshop. The limestone and stucco artwork is believed to have been created by Thutmose in 1345 BC.
A program on the Travel Channel used 3-D imaging to map the facial structure of the mummy believed to be Nefertiti. In 2018, Elisabeth Daynes, a paleoartist, used the collected information to recreate the face on the bust of the royal Egyptian woman. The project became an area of contention regarding Nefertiti’s skin tone.
4. The Brave Maximilien Robespierre
A French lawyer and politician, Maximilien Robespierre used his platform to advocate religious tolerance and manhood suffrage. He also fought for the abolition of slavery. This elected deputy to the National Convention is known for his part in the creation of the First French Republic. Robespierre was unfortunately executed in 1794.
A death mask assumed to be made by famed wax artist Madame Tussaud with his severed head was used along with contemporary art to create a realistic representation of the influential man. Philippe Charlier, a forensic pathologist joined Philippe Froesch, who specializes in facial reconstruction to create an unforgettable image.
5. Robert I, The King Of Scotts
The King of Scots from 1306 to 1329, Robert the Bruce is famed for waging a guerrilla war against the English to grant Scotland its independence. Robert the Bruce, or Robert I would not give up his overlordship of Scotland. People of Scotland of all statuses reached out to Pope John XXI to name him their monarch.
Without any artworks available, the University of Glasgow researchers reconstructed the image of Robert I using casts from what is assumed to be his skull. Thanks to Face Lab technology and archaeological evidence, we can see the face of the King of Scots. The Pope finally recognized Robert The Bruce as the rightful king of independent Scotland.
6. Julius Caesar’s Rule
We can thank Julius Caesar for the expansion of the Roman Empire. When Caesar refused to give up his position in Gaul at the risk of arrest, he reentered Roman Italy and incited a civil war. After winning the war he ruled as Dictator and used his power to extend citizenship across the Roman Empire.
Artists have created a realistic bust by performing a three-dimensional scan of a marble portrait of the war general in 2018. It is detailed enough to even assume his hair color. You can see the lifelike face of Caesar at The National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden. Senate members displeased with his governmental reforms assassinated him 44 BC.
7. The Long Life of Hilda
At the University of Dundee, Karen Fleming used the scan of a skull and wax to decode the features of a woman who lived and died sometime between 55 BC and AD 400. The bust created by Fleming, a forensic student of the university, aided experts in learning about the woman they’ve named “Hilda”.
Her bones tell the story of someone who lived twice as long as most people lived through this historical period called the Iron Age. Hilda’s skull shows that she had lost her teeth long before the time of death. With what we know about the diet of common people in this time period, it is not surprising to experts.
8. The Exotic Beauty of Cleopatra
As a teenager, Cleopatra ascended the throne alongside her much younger brother, who eventually drove her out of Egypt. She regained power with help of Julius Caesar and her other brother just a few years later. Her brother and Caesar died near the same time leaving the well-educated woman to rule Egypt alone with her son, possibly Caesar’s child.
She is famously known for her affiliation with rulers of other empires. She may be known even more by her romantic or even seductive tales. Her exotic beauty is the subject of many artworks. 3-D artists used many of the existing artworks to give us a realistic idea of what she may have looked like.
9. Remembering Queen Elizabeth I
Because the marriage of King Henry VII and Anne Boleyn was annulled upon Anne Boleyn’s death, their daughter Elizabeth was considered to be illegitimate. However, in 1558 their daughter became queen. She relied on William Cecil and his leadership of her advisers. English Protestant Church was established under her rule. Queen Elizabeth had power over England and Ireland for 44 years.
Among many other portraits in existence, there is a perfectly realistic animatronic mask of the queen. It was created by Mat Callishaw. The mask is displayed at the Queen’s House. Its haunting eyes will follow you around the room and seems to be an accurate depiction of the monarch around age 55.
10. Shakespeare’s True Face
William Shakespeare is the writer who brought to life the complicated romance of Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. He also gave us the story of Prince Hamlet of Denmark. Who Shakespeare was and what he looked like is a controversial matter, but it is believed that the engraving by Martin Droeshout is the best representation of the bard.
Professor Hildegard Hammerschmidt-Hummel claims to have found William Shakespeare’s death mask in 1775. Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616 at 50 years old. Dundee University’s Dr. Caroline Wilkinson used 3-D imaging to create a mustachioed man that most of us would recognize as the artist and actor we adore from the details in the death mask.
11. General Washington
George Washington bravely led troops to victory in the War for Independence. This Founding Father became the first president of the United States and established our federal government. His accomplishments are celebrated with portraits found in many government buildings and museums. Washington has also been immortalized on some American currency.
With so many stories and images of the accomplished George Washington across our nation, it is easy to imagine what he would have looked like. A new computer-generated portrait of Washington was created with details compared from painted portraits. The researchers proved that the historical portraits of our first president are fairly accurate.
12. Scotland’s Queen Mary
With her father’s unfortunate passing shortly after her birth, Mary Stuart would have to ascend the throne only six days after being born in 1542. The young queen grew up away from home in the French Court where her mother had sent her and did not return until 1559. She occupied the throne until 1567.
Artists who have recreated her likeness have taken so much artistic license in their works that Dr. Caroline Wilkinson of Dundee University had to do biographical research to accurately portray the Mary, Queen of Scots. The 3-D image of the monarch is not too different from the artist’s depictions, but it is lovely to see a lifelike rendering.
13. King Richard III
Richard III was generally disliked as the king of England and only had his crown for two years. King Richard has even been memorialized as a tyrannical character in one of William Shakespeare’s plays. He led an ambitious attack directly into the center of Henry Tudor’s army. They were quickly conquered.
Richard III reigned from 1483-1485, but it wasn’t until 2012 that a research team found clues leading them to a parking lot where his body would be exhumed. Since there are no realistic paintings of the king, a team from the University of Dundee worked with historical records to give us an idea of what King Richard looked like
14. Mysterious Meritamun
University of Melbourne researchers found in their archives the skull of Meritamun, the wife of Pharaoh Ramesses the Great. Her burial place is noted to be the Valley of the Queens in Egypt. Little else is known about this Egyptian queen. It is even unknown how her skull traveled so far to find itself at the University of Melbourne.
It is difficult to envision what the mysterious woman looked like with only her skull. However, there are indications that she was only around 20 years old. Her cause of death is still unknown. Evidence of tooth decay tells us the wife of Pharoah Ramesses had a royal sweet tooth. How relatable!
15. The Honest Face of Jesus Christ
For Centuries the likeness of Jesus Christ has been created and adapted to highlight the standard attractiveness throughout changing social expectations. We do not have much in the way of a written description of what he may have looked like and there is no DNA that researchers could rely on.
A team of Israeli archaeologists working together with a team of British scientists relied on forensic anthropology to find the most likely facial features that would have constructed his visage. The collective teams used techniques typically used in solving crimes to construct a realistic image that may have been how people recognized Jesus Christ.
16.The Ornate Lord of Sipan
The Lord of Sipan was the beginning of many mummies discovered in Peru. Archeologists have referred to these finds as the Moche mummies.
The Lord of Sipan was found in 1987. His body was found with all the riches one could need in the afterlife. A forensic team struggled as pressure from sediment crumbled the skull into 96 individual shards.
Researchers are grateful for modern technology which was a great aid in reconstruction. Multiple cameras at differing angles also helped in creating a multi-dimensional image. A Brazilian team of Forensic Anthropology and Odontology was able to fabricate an idea of what the Lord of Sipan may have looked like.
17. The Incredible Saint Anthony
Lisbon, Portugal was the birthplace of the quickly canonized Saint Anthony. He was born in 1195 and is known for his incredible ability to heal the ill. He graced our earth for only 36 years. Some stories say that when Saint Anthony died church bells rang on their own. The church declared him a saint in only 1 year’s time.
Only 30 years after his passing, his body was exhumed. The only things researchers had to go by were a tongue and jawbone. A 3-D designer from the University of Sao Paolo teamed up with researchers of the University of St. Anthony of Padua’s Anthropology Museum recreated the face of the saint of lost things.
18. Good King Henry
King Henry IV took his place on the throne as King of Navarre at only 19 years old, he married soon after. The streets were full of celebrations that were halted horribly. At the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, the king nearly lost his life. The Good King survived numerous attempted assassinations.
Philippe Charlier the forensic pathologist and Philippe Froesch a facial reconstruction specialist worked together again to create a believable likeness of King Henry IV. This happens to be the same team that gave clarity to the image of Maximilien Robespierre the French lawyer. King Henry IV was assassinated in 1610.
19. The Great Musician Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Germany in 1685. Seeing that he was born into a family with a musical history, it is no surprise to learn that he was a sensational organist even as a child. Most of the music he composed was for the church. His musical compositions are historical gems.
Upon his passing, Bach was buried in an unmarked grave. After 150 years a renovation was taking place which created an opportunity to find his body. Dundee University’s Dr. Caroline Wilkinson used a cast of what is believed to be his skull to create a tangible vision of the incredible composer.
20. The Liberator Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar was sent to Spain for his education. While attending school he let himself become involved in the revolt against the Spanish Empire. After the French invasion of Spain, Bolívar was titled El Libertador. This told the world that this Venezuelan military commander was The Liberator. Tuberculosis eventually took the man’s life.
It took a forensic team a year tediously combing through historical documents. They were aided by the Venezuelan Government. With the information from the extensive research performed the forensic team was able to give us this image of the influential man. The CGI images are much different than his artistic representations.
21. Nicolaus Copernicus, a Renaissance Man
Born in Poland in 1473, Nicolaus Copernicus traveled all of Europe in his lifetime. It was his knowledge and theories that taught us the ways of the solar system. The astronomer created a new model of our universe that illustrates our planets circling the Sun instead of Earth. This is still the model we use today.
Many artworks attempt to capture the character of Nicolaus Copernicus deeply concentrating on the formulas that have changed modern math and science. With new technology, we are able to compare and comprise details to create a lifelike portrait of the influential mind that we continue to learn from to this day.
22. The Incredible Lady of Cao
Assumed to be one of the Moche Mummies of Peru, researchers found a mummy in simple cloth that they have named Lady of Cao. There is an estimation that she died around the year AD 400. She was found with a collection of artifacts in 2005 in the El Brujo region of Peru.
The Lady of Cao was brought to the El Brujo Museum to be kept in a room where she is kept under specific conditions ensuring her preservation. It seems that she lived into her late twenties, but much else about her life is unknown. Careful forensic work has given us the chance to see what she may have looked like
23.Nikolaos of Myra
Nikolaos of Myra, also called St. Nicolas, is the inspiration for today’s beloved Santa Claus or Father Christmas. In his life, he was a Bishop from the area modernly called Turkey. His reputation of being a generous man in the fourth century has made him a role model for people even today.
Saint Nicolas is not necessarily the jolly man with pale skin and a white beard, but still a handsome man with facial features that might be seen in the Middle East. We can assume from the region of his birth that he had a dark complexion. It is told that he would leave gifts in children’s shoes.
24. The Last Missionary Giovanni Battista Sidotti
Born in 1668 Giovannie Battista Sidotti became an Apostolic missionary. Sidotti traveled to Japan in an attempt to spread Christian ideas. This was proven to be an extremely dangerous task to attempt. His failure in disguising himself as a Samurai led to his imprisonment for the rest of his life.
During an excavation project, his body was discovered intact in 2014. His skull was damaged, but there were enough details available that the anthropologists could easily show us an image of what Sidotti really looked like.
25. Bronze Age Mycenaean Warrior
In a tomb dating back to the Bronze Age, Archaeologists found the remains of a male skeleton entirely intact in 2015. They also found thousands of artifacts and an engraving which may eventually tell us more about who the man was. The man is believed to have been a Mycenaean warrior.
Evidence shows he was about 5 feet tall. Combs found in the tomb tell us he likely had long hair. Lynne Schepartz, a psychical anthropologist, worked with Tobias Houlton of the University of the Witwatersrand used all available details to generate a digital example of what the man’s face looked like.
26. Philosopher Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri was an adored philosopher and extremely influential poet of the Late Middle Ages from Italy. His most famous piece describes the opposing aspects of Heaven and Hell in themes that have become commonly seen in the Christian religion. Many of his philosophies are relevant to us even today.
This lifelike recreation of Dante Alighieri was made from measurements of his skull taken in 1920. This computer-generated image is very similar to most of the historical depictions of him. He was 56 years old at the time of his passing in 1321. He lived a long life for this time period.
