Gezichtsuitdrukkingen van liefde, kleinmoedigheid, verlangen, eerbied, verrukking en smart 1692 - 1711

Pieter Schenk created “Gezichtsuitdrukkingen van liefde, kleinmoedigheid, verlangen, eerbied, verrukking en smart,” or “Facial expressions of love, pettiness, longing, reverence, delight, and sorrow,” sometime between 1660 and 1711 using etching techniques. During this time, the study of human emotions through facial expressions was gaining traction, influencing both art and science. Schenk, a Dutch engraver and map publisher, captures a range of emotions in classical style. These renderings reflect an era grappling with identity through passion and reason. Each face is labeled in Latin, German, Dutch, and French, suggesting an appeal to a broad, educated audience interested in understanding and categorizing human affect. What do we make of this attempt to organize our inner lives? The faces range from the simple love of a serene woman adorned with leaves to the extreme pain of a bald man’s grimace. Representations of emotions, however, are never neutral; they are always informed by cultural and personal perspectives. Consider your own emotional landscape as you reflect on these carefully drawn faces. How do they resonate, or clash, with your own experiences?