William Hogarth described the “line of beauty” as a perfect S-curve, a shape he believed captured movement, vitality, and grace. In his 1753 work The Analysis of Beauty, he argued that these serpentine lines were more pleasing to the eye than straight or rigid ones, representing life itself in motion. That idea went on to inspire writers, artists, and designers for centuries – and gave Alan Hollinghurst’s The Line of Beauty its name. | Almeida Theatre