Why There Are Hella Ugly Babies in Medieval Art and What We Can Learn From Them

Ever wandered through the halls of an art museum, only to be confronted by a collection of babies that make you wonder if the artists accidentally spilled their paint on the canvas? Welcome to the intriguing world of Medieval Art, where cherubic cuteness took a back seat, and the portrayal of infants was a delightful blend of, well, hella ugly.

The Ugly Babies Phenomenon: A Peculiar Artistic Quirk

Medieval artists seemed to possess a unique talent for turning what should be rosy-cheeked bundles of joy into mini masterpieces of awkwardness. From elongated faces to adult-like features on miniature bodies, the renditions of babies in this era were, to put it gently, distinct.

Anyone ordered the Baby Lace Wrap, no sauce, extra chubby?

Examples that Make You Go Hmm…

1. The Wilton Diptych (c. 1395–1399): This devotional piece features a young King Richard II kneeling before the Virgin and Child. While the Virgin radiates divine grace, the Child appears to be contemplating matters of great philosophical importance, resulting in a facial expression that could generously be described…