Duchenne's influence Duchenne de Boulogne

figure 20 charles darwin s expression of emotions in man , animals (1872). caption reads fig. 20.—terror, photograph dr. duchenne



plate iii charles darwin s expression of emotions in man , animals. chapter viii: joy—high spirits—love—tender feelings—devotion

darwin s expression of emotions in man , animals written, in part, refutation of sir charles bell s theologically doctrinaire physiognomy, published in 1872. book elaborated on darwin s theory of evolution natural selection , concentrated on genetic aspects of human behaviour. darwin s text carried illustrations drawn duchenne s photographs, , darwin , duchenne corresponded briefly. noteworthy, also, darwin lent copy of duchenne s book british psychiatrist james crichton-browne in 1869, crichton-browne seems have mislaid book year or (in west riding lunatic asylum in wakefield, yorkshire - see darwin correspondence project, letter 7220) , - in 1872 - crichton-browne invited sir david ferrier asylum laboratory undertake experiments involving electrical stimulation of motor centres in brain.

duchenne s famous student jean-martin charcot, became director of insane asylum @ salpêtrière in 1862. adopted duchenne s procedure of photographic experiments , believed possible attain truth through direct observation. named examination room @ asylum after teacher. duchenne, charcot sought chart gestures , expressions of patients, believing them subject absolute, mechanistic laws. however, unlike duchenne, restricted experiments realm of sane, charcot interested exclusively in photographing expressions of traumatized patients - hysterics . known enabling public witness these emotional displays establishing renowned weekly theatre of passions fashionable society of day witness expressions of insane. provided inspiration popular culture, including grand guignol theatre opened in 1897, , alfred binet made numerous contributions. sigmund freud, attended charcot s clinical demonstrations in 1885, laid out foundations of life s work, psychoanalysis, sympathetic deconstruction of charcot s neurological lectures on hypnosis , hysteria.

in 1981, modern audience exposed duchenne s mechanism of human physiognomy when book , photographs revealed - alongside illustrations of phrenology , evolutionary theory - on screen in film version of john fowles s novel, french lieutenant s woman. there, protagonist, charles smithson, young scientist, men of time, still faintly under influence of lavater s physiognomy, intent on interpreting alienated woman s true character expressions.

perhaps can best understand duchenne s contribution art , science robert sobieszek s concluding words comprehensive chapter on duchenne, in book ghost in shell writes:

duchenne s ultimate legacy may set stage, were, charcot s visual theater of passions , defined essential dramaturgy of visual theaters, both scientific , artistic, have since been conceived in attempt picture our psyches. … in end, duchenne s mecanisme de la physionomie humaine , photographic stills experimental theater of electroshock excitations established modern field on struggle depict , discern ever-elusive meanings of our coded faces continues waged.