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Wednesday, December 29, 2004The phenomenal success of the work of the Swiss pastor Johann Casper Lavater (1741-1801) also contributed to the popularity of the art. Lavater linked silhouettes to the 'science' of physiognomy, which aimed to discern a person's character from their facial features. His Essays on Physiognomy, Designed to Promote the Knowledge and Love of Mankind were first published in Germany in 1772 and translated into English and French in the 1780s. They promoted the simple contours of a silhouette as the best means of 'reading' a face: "What can be less the image of a living man than a shade? Yet how full of speech! Little gold, but the purest." posted by Sydney on 12/29/2004 09:34:00 PM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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