Admiration after 1698

Eduardus Jacobus created this drawing, titled "Admiration," using red chalk on paper. The drawing is dominated by the head and shoulders of a figure, rendered in delicate lines and subtle shading. This creates a sense of classical restraint, an emotional placidity mirrored in the text that frames the image. The artist focuses on capturing the essence of "Admiration" through precise, almost scientific observation. Note how Jacobus methodically describes the minute alterations in the face – the slight lift of an eyebrow, the almost imperceptible opening of the mouth. It’s as if admiration, in Jacobus's view, is not a grand, sweeping emotion but rather a collection of tiny, measurable adjustments in the human visage. Through this formal approach, Jacobus invites us to consider the semiotics of emotion. How do we decode and interpret the visual cues that signal inner states? Is emotion a universal language, or is it a construct, carefully articulated through culturally specific signs?