Photo Of Naked Elderly Couple Is Teaching The World There Are 'A Million Billion Definitions Of Beautiful' | HuffPost Life

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Life Editor at HuffPost UK

Gerry, 75, and Darwin, 70, have been together for more than 20 years.

Now, hundreds of thousands of people have seen them naked thanks to a new project by photographer Jade Beall.

"I refuse to accept the wide spread (mostly Western) human belief system in regards to what is beautiful, especially when it comes to the sacred vessel we call our body," Beall said on Facebook.

"Why do we accept to believe that one thing must be more beautiful than another? Why cannot we embrace a million-billion definitions of beautiful?"

Beall posted the photo of the pair to announce the beginning of a new project she's embarking on.

She hopes to photograph other couples over 60 to challenge beauty standards around age.

"These elder bodies: the temples to decades of wisdom, heartbreak, strength, failure, triumph, thriving. How, I wonder, could they be anything but beautiful?" she said.

Commenting on the image, Gerry said she's happy with her appearance today.

"I love my body. I use a cane, I am having vision problems and my breasts reach to my waist, but you know what? I like me," she said.

Meanwhile Darwin admitted he "still [has] body issues".

"I would love to lose some weight," he added.

The image has been liked more than 31,000 times since it was posted on Friday, and clearly, no one is concerned by the pair's "flaws".

"They look so happy. Even if you didn't find those bodies beautiful (and they are!) how can you not be moved to tears seeing the love that flows between them?" one user said.

Another added: "So beautiful! These two people are truly stunning."

To see more of Jade Beall's work, visit her website or Facebook page.

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Lines like this are why we love Tess Holliday: "It's okay to be yourself, even if you happen to exist in a fat body. I'm sexy, confident and give no fucks. Also, fuck anyone for saying otherwise. " (credit:Curve Fashion Festival)

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Having previously opened up about her struggles with an eating disorder, Demi Lovato posed for an un-touched nude photo featured on the cover of Vanity Fair."I basically went from hating every single inch of my body to working on myself and trying to figure out ways to love myself and love the skin that I'm in," she said in an accompanying interview."I learned after working very hard on my spirituality and my soul and my body, I learned that you can get to a place where you love the skin that you're in and I'm excited to share that with the world." (credit:Vanity Fair)

Jameela Jamil (04 of10)

Jameela Jamil has launched an inclusive clothing range to end the plus-size divide once and for all.“I find it infuriating that in this industry, size 10 and above is defined as ‘plus size’ especially when the average dress size in the UK is a 16," she said."We really shouldn’t be putting a label on size, fashion is for all and I think confidence and happiness is more important than dress labels.” (credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)

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Chrissy Teigen proved even models aren't perfect when she posted a picture of her stretch marks on Instagram.Her post promoted comments like: "I've had stretch marks since I was 12 years old at 5'9". So important for young girls and now 29 year olds to see." (credit:Michael Loccisano via Getty Images)

Kate Winslet (06 of10)

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Lupita Nyong'o(07 of10)

Lupita Nyong'o has spoken out against the lack of diversity in the media saying: "European standards of beauty are something that plague the entire world—the idea that darker skin is not beautiful, that light skin is the key to success and love."She also loves her skin, as proven by her appearance in a brilliant Sesame Street sketch. (credit:Joel Ryan/Invision/AP)

Ashley Graham (08 of10)

Model Ashley Graham refuses to be defined by her size."It’s fantastic when I’m not labeled as a plus size model in any interview or editorial I do," she told HuffPost UK Style."It makes a statement for women out there, 'look she’s not being described by her size, she’s being honoured by the things that she’s doing in the world'." (credit:Andy Kropa /Invision/AP)

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Alexa Chung (10 of10)

Alexa Chung has been skinny-shamed and called "gross" by online trolls, but instead of letting the haters get her down, she's become a spokesperson for body diversity in the media."I would love to look like Daisy Lowe, but I don't... but I'm happy with how I look. Equally, I don't want to use this as an example of how young girls should look," she said. (credit:KGC-146/STAR MAX/IPx)

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