Figure 78: Scene of coquetry 1854 - 1856

This is Guillaume Duchenne's "Scene of Coquetry," a photograph made using albumen silver print. Not exactly painting or sculpture, but it’s a constructed image, using the relatively new technology of photography to explore the supposed science of physiognomy. Duchenne was interested in how facial expressions reflect our inner emotional states, and he used electricity to stimulate different muscles in his subject’s face. This wasn't exactly collaborative; it could be painful, and it raises serious questions about labor, exploitation, and the way women’s bodies have been historically put to work. The sepia tones and the crispness of the image – all results of the albumen printing process – give the photograph a scientific veneer. But the subject’s expression is forced, unnatural, and unsettling. Ultimately, Duchenne’s project reminds us that even the most technologically advanced processes are always inflected with social and cultural biases.