Two small glass candle holders sit side by side, one smoking and the other burning with a tall golden flame.

Original artwork, not a still

Conjugal Precepts

Plutarch

When the candles are out all women are fair.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Plutarch's saying suggests that once the lights go out, differences in looks stop mattering and every woman seems equally attractive. It is a worldly, somewhat cynical remark about how darkness hides flaws and how appearance shapes judgment, hinting that beauty is partly a matter of perception.

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