Figure 9: A study of m. frontalis in maximum contraction 1854 - 1856

"Figure 9: A study of m. frontalis in maximum contraction" is a photographic portrait created by Guillaume Benjamin Amand Duchenne between 1854 and 1856. This image, part of Duchenne's research on facial expressions, depicts a man contracting his frontalis muscle. Duchenne used electrical stimulation to isolate and study the function of various muscles, pioneering the field of electrophysiology. This photograph, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, showcases a critical moment in scientific and photographic history. The use of electrical stimulation to evoke specific facial expressions contributed to the advancement of both medicine and art, influencing artists like Degas and painters of the Impressionist movement.