Latest news with #facialreconstruction
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I was brutally beaten with brass knuckles by my ex... and it wrecked a lifetime of facial surgeries
A woman born with a rare genetic condition that required a lifetime of facial reconstruction has been forced to go under the knife once again after her ex-boyfriend brutally attacked her. Alexis Garcia Tule, 27, had finally started to feel confident after years of bullying and painful surgeries, including an intensive jaw reconstruction that involved metal implants to replace bone.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Beethoven's true face is revealed for the first time in 200 YEARS - and it's every bit as 'intimidating' as his reputation suggests
The true face of Beethoven has been revealed almost 200 years after his death – and it's every bit as 'intimidating' as his reputation suggests. Despite his status as one of history's great composers, Beethoven is also remembered for his surly disposition and unkempt appearance. 'He was indeed irritable, untidy, clumsy, rude, and misanthropic,' wrote British composer Mark Wigglesworth in a blog post. It's a reputation often reflected in his portraits, which invariably depict him as an unsmiling man with an icy gaze. Now a scientific reconstruction of his face has revealed what he actually looked like – and it seems he really did look that grumpy. Cicero Moraes, lead author of the new study, has completed the first ever reconstruction of the composer's appearance based on his skull. 'I found the face somewhat intimidating,' he admitted. To complete the work, Mr Moraes used historical photographs of the musician's skull provided by the Beethoven House in Bonn, Germany. Along with the images, which were taken by Johann Batta Rottmayer in 1863, he used measurement data collected in 1888. He said: 'The facial approximation was guided solely by the skull. 'First I created 2D outlines – frontal and lateral – from the skull photographs. 'Then I modelled the skull in 3D using a virtual donor's tomography, adjusted to match the photos' proportions. 'I then added soft tissue thickness markers based on data from living Europeans, projected the nose, and traced the facial profile. 'I interpolated all these projections to form the basic face.' With the objective face complete, Mr Moraes added subjective features like clothes and hair, using as his guide a famous portrait of Beethoven painted in 1820 by Joseph Karl Stieler. Finally, some of the finer details were enhanced with an AI tool. The skull itself is not in perfect condition, due to incisions made after Beethoven's death in 1827, and the reconstruction is based on only two perspectives – frontal and lateral. But Mr Moraes said it was also 'highly compatible' with a cast made of the composer's stony visage during his lifetime. In his blog post, Mr Wigglesworth argued that, despite his reputation, Beethoven could be 'witty, caring, mischievous, generous, and kind'. It was, he suggested, the loss of his hearing that made him the 'impatient, intolerant, irascible man that, against his better nature, he became infamous for'. Those who knew him might have agreed. One contemporary stated: 'As he grew older and deafness overtook him, the negative aspects of Beethoven's personality came to the fore.' Mr Moraes, who probes the mystery of Beethoven's genius in his new study, believes the composer's musicality and 'challenging personality' go hand in hand. He said: 'I academically explored his genius, revealing what made him an icon of Western music. 'I analysed his revolutionary creativity, resilience in composing despite deafness, intense focus, problem-solving ability, and tireless productivity, despite a challenging personality. 'Reading about his life in detail was moving, as I noticed behavioural similarities in myself. 'I was fortunate to have psychological support that helped me manage my own irritability. 'Beethoven, however, faced a chaotic world with his own resources, finding refuge in his work, which seemed to bring him existential fulfilment.' Mr Moraes published his study in the journal OrtogOnLineMag.
Asharq Al-Awsat
07-05-2025
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Skull Discovered in Hungary May Belong to Legendary King Matthias Corvinus
A skull unearthed in a medieval Hungarian church two decades ago may belong to legendary King Matthias Corvinus, who ruled the country for more than 30 years and was known for his support of the sciences and arts, experts claim. The New York Post said that Emese Gábor, a facial reconstruction specialist and portrait sculptor based in Hungary, told Fox News Digital that the potentially royal skull was discovered in the ossuary portion of the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Székesfehérvár. The remains were first discovered in 2002. In an attempt to confirm her hypothesis, Gábor compared the newly discovered skull to that of Corvinus' illegitimate son, Janos. What Gábor found led her to believe that the find is indeed that of King Matthias Corvinus, 'a friend of the muses,' according to Britannica, who was one of the first European leaders to welcome the Renaissance. Gábor told Fox News Digital that she discovered an 'exceptionally high degree of morphological similarity' between the two skulls. She created plastic facial reconstructions of the examined skulls in the hopes of helping to tease out the facial features of the long-lost remains. The skull also conforms to what's known about Corvinus, down to his age and height, she told the outlet. 'This phenomenon, along with other features — such as the estimated age at death (43–48 years; Mátyás died at age 47) and the body height of 172 cm — provide further support and reinforce the possibility of royal origin.' Hungarian officials were quick to point out that the claims about King Matthias 'are not yet confirmed,' with the Institute of Hungarian Research telling Archaeology Mag that 'scientific verification of the hypothesis is ongoing. We will be able to make a final statement after the verification.' Known as Matthias the Just, Corvinus ruled as king of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490 and earned his moniker by creating a standing army, altering tax codes to be fairer and ushering in judicial reforms.
