- Face Facts: A History of Physiognomy from Ancient Mesopotamia to the End of the 19th Century

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Face Facts: A History of Physiognomy from Ancient Mesopotamia to the End of the 19th Century:
Jodie Jenkinson
The journal of biocommunication, february 1997
University of Toronto

Physionomy is the art of discerning the character of the mind from the features of the face.
It is now considered a pseudo-science at best.


Pseudo-Aristotelian physiognomy considers that ones character can be determined by the character of animal to which she or he bears a resemblance, the race to which (s)he belongs and the interpretation of transient facial expression.

Positive attributes -> men, negative attributes -> women

First illustrated account of naturalist theories appeared during the Renaissance in a 16th century publication by an Italian physiognomist named Giambattista della Porta. > De Humana Physioanomonia. This provided visual material for the above mentioned Pseudo- Aristotelian theories. (Page 3)

Della Porta’s work represents a departure from the association of physiognomy with astrology, and legitimizes it as the product of natural science.
<br. Charles le Brun 17th century

Physiognomy fell out of favor but Johan Casper Lavater tried to reestablish it as a science again in the 18th century.