Design: Facial Anatomy from Encyclopédie 1762 - 1777

Benoit Louis Prevost created this print of facial anatomy for the Encyclopédie. Eyes and noses, presented here with an almost clinical detachment, unlock a rich history. Consider the eye, the window to the soul. Prevost meticulously renders its form, inviting us to dissect its emotional potential. Across cultures, the eye serves as a potent symbol, from the all-seeing eye of ancient Egypt to the penetrating gaze of Renaissance portraits. It’s a motif laden with meaning, adapted and reinterpreted through the ages. Even the nose, seemingly simple, carries weight. Think of the exaggerated noses in Renaissance caricature, revealing class prejudice and biases. This image is no different, the artist seeks to convey the deeper psychological or social undertones they imply. These features, when isolated and examined closely, reveal the emotional and psychological undercurrents that connect us across time. They resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.