14. Table XIV. Combination of the Features of the Timid 

Editor: Here we have Alexander Cozens' "14. Table XIV. Combination of the Features of the Timid." It's a delicate drawing of a woman's profile, almost ghostly in its simplicity. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see the influence of physiognomy, the pseudo-science of judging character from facial features. Cozens’ work reflects the 18th-century obsession with categorizing human nature. How did society use such categorizations? Editor: Perhaps to reinforce existing social hierarchies, associating certain appearances with specific traits? Curator: Precisely. These "combinations" were rarely neutral. What do you think the artist is trying to do by labeling these features as “timid”? Editor: It's unsettling to think of art being used to justify prejudice. Curator: Indeed. It reminds us that art is not created in a vacuum, and it often reflects the biases of its time. Editor: I'll definitely look at 18th-century portraits differently now!