who said beauty is in the eye of the beholder

The saying “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is commonly attributed to Margaret Wolfe Hungerford, who wrote the line in her 1878 novel Molly Bawn. The idea itself—that beauty is perceived subjectively rather than being an objective quality—dates back much further, with echoes in classical philosophy (notably Plato) and earlier English writings that express a similar sentiment. In short: the modern phrasing is credited to Hungerford, while the concept has older roots in philosophy and literature.