Physiognomy as the art of observation and portraiture

De la physiognomonie comme art de l’observation et du portrait

The lecture addressed the history of physiognomy, pathognomy, phrenology, as well as the portrayal and perception of faces in literature andpainting. The secret of the success of physiognomic theories, especiallythe late 18th century treatise by the Swiss pastor Johann Caspar Lavater,is still perplexing today. The fascination with physiognomy is attributed by some to the fundamental need to discover what lies behind the human face. People can lie, but their bodies cannot deceive and are therefore incapable of misleading an expert physiognomist. This aspect had already been noticed by Kant. The philosopher considered it a natural human reflex to look first at the face and eyes of a stranger to decide whether he or she can be trusted. What is most interesting, however, is the influence of physiognomic theories on portrait studies in literature, especially on the way characters are presented in the works of prose writers of the second half of the 19th century.