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Figure 7: Étude du méchanisme et de l’expression du muscle frontal chez un vieillard: à droit, attention; à gauche, repos
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Duchenne embarked on the first scientific, systematic exploration of the physiology of human facial expression and hoped, through photographs of his experiments, to teach artists how to portray those emotions. The experiments were performed by applying electrical stimulation to a single muscle on one side of the face, so that the viewer could clearly see the impact of the muscular contraction.
| Artist / Maker | Guillaume-Benjamin-Amand Duchenne |
|---|---|
| Date | c. 1856, printed 1862 |
| Medium | Albumen print from glass plate negative |
| Dimensions | Image: 16.2 x 11.9 cm (6 3/8 x 4 11/16 in.); Paper: 23.5 x 17.9 cm (9 1/4 x 7 1/16 in.); Mounted: 41.2 x 27.4 cm (16 1/4 x 10 13/16 in.) |
| Department | Photography |
| Type | Photograph |
About the Artist
Guillaume-Benjamin-Amand Duchenne (de Boulogne) (French, 1806–1875) Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
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Figure 51: À droite, contraction partielle de l'élévateur commun de l'aile du nez et de la lèvre supérieure: mécontentement, mauvaise humeur; à gauche, repos