Description: This plate originates from: 'L'art de connaitre les hommes par la Physonomie par Gaspard Lavater. Nouvelle Edition corrigee et disposee dans un ordre plus methodique, augmentee d'une exposition des recherches ou des opinions de la chambre, de Porta, de Camper, de Gall, sur la physionomie; d'une histoire anatomique et physiologique de la face; precedee d'une notice historique sur l'auteur.' by Moreau de la Sartre, published by Depelafol, Paris, 1835. The first ed. of this work was published in Leipzig, Germany, 1775-1778. Later editions in Dutch and French. Lavater advocated the phenomenon of physiognomy, by which one could judge character from facial characteristics. Lavater claimed for instance that heavy eyebrows grown together meant criminality; while a sloping forehead might show that one was less smart.
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