Voorstellingen van verschillende emoties 1711

Bernard Picart created this print, "Voorstellingen van verschillende emoties," sometime between 1673 and 1733 using etching and possibly other techniques. The composition is divided into four distinct rectangles, each containing a head displaying a different emotion. The lines are precise, almost clinical, emphasizing form over expressiveness. Here, Picart isn't just presenting emotions; he's dissecting them. The structural layout of the print mirrors a scientific study, categorizing human feelings as if they were specimens. The faces, rendered with minimal shading, highlight the essential lines that define each emotion. This approach aligns with the period's interest in rationalizing human behavior, influenced by philosophers exploring the nature of emotions. The print destabilizes our understanding of emotions as purely internal experiences, presenting them as external, measurable phenomena. The act of framing each emotion within a rectangle suggests an attempt to contain and control these feelings. Consider how Picart's formal choices reflect broader cultural efforts to understand the human condition through reason and observation.