I highly suggest you check out more Hilda images. Though she doesn't look the same in every photo, there are a few constants. She is always plus sized and a redhead. She is always engaged in simply enjoying the world around her. Unlike today's models, who always feel the need to strike 'sexy' pouty poses, Hilda's sexuality was always part of her ordinary life. And she was usually happy, not looking scared or sultry. What's more, Hilda wasn't depicted as being extremely young. Depending on the painting, she could be a woman of varying age, but she hardly looked like a teenager.
What happened to the America where Hilda calendars were for sale, and nobody batted an eye? How did we go from a thin dominant culture - which the US certainly already was by the 1950's - to a culture where thin was the only way to be beautiful?
I don't have the answer to that question. But I do feel our culture is in a state of reawakening. Why else would pictures like Hilda suddenly have appeal to so many? Our culture craves this type of expression, because we are in a state of flux. And that's a very, very good thing in my book.
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