Gaiety expressed by the ideas of lustfulness, cynicism and lewdness

1854-1856, printed 1862

Guillaume-Benjamin-Amant Duchenne (de Boulogne)

Associated Names
Guillaume-Benjamin-Amant Duchenne (de Boulogne)

Artist, French, 1806 - 1875

The image shows an upper-body profile of a person facing right, with their face turned slightly towards the viewer. The person is captured in profile with visible expressive features; deep wrinkles are notable. Their hair is short and combed back. They are wearing a light-colored garment with buttons down the front. The person holds a thin string or wire in one hand, which extends towards their face and connects to a small object held by another hand, suggesting a pair of spectacles or glasses being maneuvered. The background is plain and neutral, and the image has a soft, sepia tone.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    albumen silver print

  • Credit Line

    Edward E. MacCrone Fund

  • Dimensions

    image: 22.8 × 16.8 cm (9 × 6 5/8 in.)
    mount: 40 × 27.7 cm (15 3/4 × 10 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.52.31

  • Portfolio Title

    Mécanisme de la Physionomie (The Mechanism of Human Facial Expression)

Associated Artworks

See all 32 artworks
The image shows a man facing the camera with a slight turn to his right. He has a stern expression, prominent cheekbones, a furrowed brow, thinning hair on the top of his head, and slightly unkempt longer strands on the sides. He wears a light-colored, partially unbuttoned shirt revealing his chest, and dark pants or a belt. There are no visible pieces of jewelry or objects being held. The background is plain with a subtle gradient from light to dark.

Face in repose

Guillaume-Benjamin-Amant Duchenne (de Boulogne)

1854

This is a photograph of a closed album cover with French text. The album cover is made of a textured material with a dark green hue. It features embossed text in gold, stating "Dr Duche(enne de Boulogne)" and "MÉCANISME DE LA PHYSIONOMIE ALBUM" across the front. The text is centered, with varying sizes and styles to distinguish between titles and subtitles. Decorative horizontal lines are present above and below some of the text. The album is tied on the side with beige or light brown fabric ties. The overall appearance is formal.

Mécanisme de la Physionomie (The Mechanism of Human Facial Expression)

Guillaume-Benjamin-Amant Duchenne (de Boulogne)

1862

The image shows a man from the waist up. He has a mustache, medium-length wavy hair, and crossed arms. He is looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. The man is wearing a loose-fitting, light-colored shirt and there is no visible jewelry. The background is plain with a sepia tone. The photograph is presented within an oval frame with darkened edges.

Face in repose

Guillaume-Benjamin-Amant Duchenne (de Boulogne)

1854

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Alphonse Bertillon, Paris; by descent to Pascal Vincent-Bertillon, Paris; NGA purchase (through Denis Canguilhem, Paris), 2015.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

upper center of mount in black letterpress: Électro-Physiologie Photographique. / Fig. 42.; lower center-right of mount in black letterpress: Duchenne (de Boulogne), phot.

Wikidata ID

Q64154670

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