Figure 48: Mild weeping, pity and feeble false laughter 1854 - 1856

Guillaume Duchenne's "Figure 48: Mild weeping, pity and feeble false laughter" from his groundbreaking series *Électro-physiologie photographique* is a striking photographic study of human expression. Taken between 1854 and 1856, this image, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, utilizes electrical stimulation to elicit a specific facial expression in the subject, a technique developed by Duchenne. The resulting image captures the complexities of human emotions, particularly the incongruence between the subject's forced smile and the underlying sense of sadness in their eyes. Duchenne's work, groundbreaking for its time, aimed to scientifically categorize and analyze human expression. This image showcases his dedication to exploring the connection between facial muscles and emotional states.