Johann Casper Lavater - Human Physiognomy

Johann Caspar Lavater. Essays on Physiognomy, designed to promote the knowledge and the love of mankind. Translated from the French by Henry Hunter.

From Wikipedia:

Lavater's name would be forgotten but for his work in the field of physiognomy, Physiognomische Fragmente zur Beförderung der Menschenkenntnis und Menschenliebe (1775-1778). The fame of this book, which found admirers in France and England as well as Germany, rests largely upon the handsome style of publication and the accompanying illustrations. The two principal sources from which Lavater developed his physiognomical studies were the writings of the Italian polymath Giambattista della Porta, and the observations made by Sir Thomas Browne in his Religio Medici (translated into German in 1748 and praised by Lavater).



Physiognomy In Profile: Lavater's Impact On European Culture























A death mask behind the face of pretty girl symbolizing the ephemeral nature of beauty. From Wikipedia.

Physiognomy and facial recognition began to be discussed again in the aftermath of 9-11 and the stereotyping or suspects. Here is an essay on the subject: Christopher Lukasik - The Physiognomy of Biometrics with a reference to Lavater.




The Wellcome Library has a lot of images.

































Das Antlitz Gottes im Antlitz des Menschen: Zugange zu Johann Kaspar Lavater (Arbeiten zur Geschichte des Pietismus) (German Edition)


The Wisdom of Your Face: Change Your Life with Chinese Face Reading!


Physiognomy and the Meaning of Expression in Nineteenth-Century Culture (Cambridge Studies in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture)

Google Books Physiognomy or the Corresponding Analogy between the Conformation of the Features and the Ruling Passions of the Mind by Johann Casper Lavater.

Other posts on physiognomy.

Antique Medical Anatomy Book

A series of prints from a 1750 medical anatomy book including, studies of the head, the human skeleton back view, human skeleton front view, human muscles, muscles of the leg, muscles of the arm, bones of the hand and bones of the foot, phrenology, a character study of a human resembling a bird, a character study of a human resembling a dog, a character study of a human resembling a pig, a character study of a human resembling an owl, studies of religious ecstasy and insanity.

Unfortunately I don't know anything about the book from which they came except for the date of 1750.










These prints are on sale on on Ebay.com.











Physiognomy and the Meaning of Expression in Nineteenth-Century Culture (Cambridge Studies in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture)


Physiognomy In Profile: Lavater's Impact On European Culture



Visages et caracteres: etudes de physiognomie


Anatomy of the Human Body the XIIth edition.

Anatomie des menschlichen Körpers.


The Science of Art: Optical Themes in Western Art from Brunelleschi to Seurat



Here is a link to a site with more examples of antique medial books, the University of Virginis's Historical Collections: Vaulted Treasures.









Anatomy for Art Students, Painters and Sculptors

Le Brun's System on Physiognomy

Le Brun's System on Physiognomy maitres-des-arts-graphiques.com.





Charles Le Brun's Physiognomies.



Charles Le Brun's plate on expression, and other images of expression at Artlex.













Charles Le Brun, Li Baoshu and the wolfman, link to a page on hair.



Head physiognomies resembling weasels.

Link to a study for Mucius Scaevola Before Porsenna.
The Web Gallery of Art.





Head resembling a monkey.









Here is a link to a the plates on the web at maitres-des-arts-graphiques.com:

Le Brun's System on Physiognomy
L.-J.-M. Morel d'Arleux (after Charles Lebrun)
Dissertation sur un Traité de Charles Lebrun concernant le
Rapport de la Physionomie Humaine avec Celle des Animaux
Paris, Chalcographie du Musée Napoléon, 1806
Planches gravées* d'après les dessins de Lebrun, pour son
Traité du Rapport de la Figure Humaine avec celle des Animaux.


Another image is on the page of a dissertation called Visualization
by Marc Winter.













Physiognomy and the Meaning of Expression in Nineteenth-Century Culture (Cambridge Studies in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture)


Physiognomy In Profile: Lavater's Impact On European Culture

Physiognomy - By Johann Caspar Lavater.

Some similar images about physiognomy are on a page about phrenology: Phrenology and the Fine Arts.

See also: Antique Medical Anatomy Book.


The Artist's Complete Guide to Facial Expression




Facial Expressions: A Visual Reference for Artists