Since the famous anecdote about the image of beautiful Helen, physical beauty has been regarded as a product of art. For his portrait of Helen, the Greek painter Zeuxis is said to have selected the five most outstanding virgins and painted the most beautiful body part from each model. According to this idea, perfect beauty can only be achieved through an artificial intervention; this applies to both the living body and its artistic representation. Thus, art and body care exist in a dynamic relationship. The foundations and means for creating and enhancing physical beauty available in both areas overlap, complement, and influence each other. This book explores this relationship through selected foundational texts in German translation, supplemented by informed commentary on the historical context.