It is often said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The history of civilizations shows that the beauty ideal is determined by the idle ruling classes. In the European civilization this is seen in the change of public perception of the most beautiful colour of the skin.
Skin pigmentation is a hereditary trait that can also be influenced by the environment. In 17th century feudal Europe a tanned person was a person regularly exposed to the sun because he or she had to work the fields for a living. Only members of the feudal class could afford to stay indoors all day. To show off their social status they protected themselves against exposure to the sun, and a skin "white as snow" became the ideal of ultimate beauty. The painting by Francesco Albani makes this clear through the difference of body colour between the blacksmith Vulcan and the ideal beauty Venus:
Francesco Albani, Venus and Vulcan (detail), 1621 - 1633. Louvre, Paris.
With the advent of capitalism people exchanged outdoor work against work in unhealthy interiors, and anaemic pale white bodies became the sign of poverty and misery. The bourgeoisie began to show off its lifestyle by enjoying excursions into the countryside, and a tanned face became desirable. The beauty ideal changed from white as snow to a well developed tan. Today an entire industry lives off peoples' desire to be seen to live the lifestyle of the rich and idle:
Advertisement for a home airbrush tanning system.