Photo editing programs have long been a part of our lives, so you can rarely see a photo that hasn’t been retouched. However, it’s wrong to think that Photoshop belongs only to the modern world. People have been improving the looks of their portraits for centuries. That means there were specialists in photo retouching that date all the way back to the nineteenth century. Even painters have worked hard to make models look more beautiful than they really were.
At Bright Side, we searched the archives and found photos of royalty from the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, and we compared them to their portrait paintings. At the end of the article, we’ll show you what Vincent van Gogh really looked like.
Isabella II of Spain (1830 — 1904)
Mary of Teck, the spouse of George V (1867 — 1953)
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the mother of Queen Elizabeth II (1900 — 2002)
Princess Helena of the United Kingdom (1846 — 1923)
Victoria, Princess Royal, German Empress (1840 — 1901)
Charlotte of Belgium (1840 — 1927)
Sophie of Württemberg, Queen of the Netherlands (1818 — 1877)
Queen Victoria (1819 — 1901)
Maria Christina of Austria, Queen-consort of Spain (1858 — 1929)
Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma, Princess-consort of Bulgaria (1870 — 1899)
Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia (1882 — 1957)
Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom, Queen Victoria’s fifth daughter (1857 — 1944)
Alexandra Feodorovna, the spouse of Nicholas II of Russia (1872 — 1918)
Princess Alice of Battenberg, the mother-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II (1885 — 1969)
Alexandra of Denmark, the spouse of Edward VII (1844 — 1925)
onus: Vincent van Gogh (1853 — 1890)
What do you think about Photoshop? Do you use it often? Tell us in the comments below.
I Took My Fiancé to Visit My Parents — He Ran Out Screaming ‘I Can’t Believe It!’ in the Middle of the Night
Adam and I had been together for six years, planning to marry next month. But during a visit to my parents’ house, everything changed. Adam discovered their unconventional marriage—a secret I’d kept—and it rocked his trust in me.
It all began with a visit to my childhood home. Despite Adam’s preference for a hotel, I convinced him to stay for nostalgia’s sake. The visit started well, with family meals and laughter, but that night, Adam witnessed something shocking—my mother kissing another man. Horrified, he demanded an explanation, assuming infidelity.
I had dreaded this moment for years. My parents had an open marriage, and I had kept it hidden, unsure how to tell Adam. When he confronted me, I tried to explain, but he was too upset. His own trauma from his mother’s infidelity clouded everything. Feeling betrayed, he left for a hotel, needing time to process.
The rest of the visit was tense. My parents apologized, but the damage was done. On the drive home, we decided to seek therapy to work through the trust issues and Adam’s unresolved fears. Now, we’re talking more openly, trying to heal and move forward together.
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