What People Whose Appearance We Know Only From Portraits Actually Looked Like

Photo editing might seem like a modern-day invention, but the desire to enhance appearances has been around for centuries. Long before Photoshop, artists and photographers found ways to perfect portraits. We dug through historical archives to uncover photos of royalty from the 19th and early 20th centuries and compared them to their painted portraits.

Princess Helena of the United Kingdom (1846 — 1923)

Isabella II of Spain (1830 — 1904)

Friedericke Maria Beer (1891 — 1980)

Alexandra of Denmark, the spouse of Edward VII (1844 — 1925)

Victoria, Princess Royal, German Empress (1840 — 1901)

Vincent van Gogh (1853 — 1890)

Mary of Teck, the spouse of George V (1867 — 1953)

Caroline Augusta of Bavaria, Empress of Austria (1792 — 1873)

Sophie of Württemberg, Queen of the Netherlands (1818 — 1877)

Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, Duchess of Teck (1833 — 1897)

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the mother of Queen Elizabeth II (1900 — 2002)

Maria Christina of Austria, Queen-consort of Spain (1858 — 1929)

Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma, Princess-consort of Bulgaria (1870 — 1899)

Princess Alice of Battenberg, the mother-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II (1885 — 1969)

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)

Queen Victoria (1819 — 1901)

Charlotte of Belgium (1840 — 1927)

Skilled retouchers existed even in the 19th century, carefully altering photos to make subjects look their best. Even painters were known to tweak their work, subtly enhancing features to present models in a more flattering light.