In this little essay, the famous poet supports makeup and cosmetics, saying that, like civilization, they improve nature and are therefore valuable and good! This was a brave statement in the 19th century, which was quite anti-makeup. It was only towards the end of the century that makeup started to be considered acceptable, and even then it had to be discreet. Women were expected to be beautiful, but if they did anything to enhance that beauty they were condemned.
Baudelaire's pamphlet states clearly that nature can sometimes be unjust on the skin -- makeup is there to help! He also defends fashion saying that it forms part of the search for the ideal and the charming.
The only negative thing with Elogu du Maquillage, is that it continues to see the woman as an object to be stared at: though it does not deny women personality and intelligence, it says that it is their business to look beautiful.
If you have been reading this blog for a while, you will know that feminism's answer here is that, 1) women are subjects, not objects, 2) they can be beautiful and love their own beauty too, i.e. they can be beautiful because they like and choose to, and, 3) there are many kinds of beauty, not just one.
I have this pamphlet in Greek, from the publishing house Agra (Άγρα), which has done a lot to bring international research to the Greek-speaking public. Their translations are excellent. Baudelaire's work belongs to their pamphlet series, (which also includes Virginia Woolf's Letter to a Young Poet). In Greek the title for Baudelaire is Εγκώμιο του Μακιγιάζ.
Have a good night, always with beauty and a book! xxx
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