Pain and despair

1854-1856, printed 1862

Guillaume-Benjamin-Amant Duchenne (de Boulogne)

Associated Names
Guillaume-Benjamin-Amant Duchenne (de Boulogne)
Artist, French, 1806 - 1875
Adrien Tournachon
Artist, French, 1825 - 1903
The image shows a man seated facing the camera. An apparatus holds his mouth open. His facial features include a pronounced brow, deep lines across his forehead, and a visible frown emphasized by the device. His hair is thinning and combed back, revealing more of his scalp. He wears a loosely fitted shirt with an open collar. Two other individuals are partially visible, wearing suits suggestive of a formal setting. One on either side of the man holds the device in place. The background is plain and slightly blurred with no noticeable details or objects.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

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

in Adrien Tournachon's hand, lower left on image in black ink: Nadar Jeune; upper center of mount in black letterpress: Électro-Physiologie Photographique. / Fig. 45.; lower center-right of mount in black letterpress: Duchenne (de Boulogne), phot.

Wikidata ID

Q64154672

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