The Mechanism of Human Facial Expression

304 Pages·1990·46.143 MB·English

by  G. -B. Duchenne de Boulogne, R. Andrew Cuthbertson

Studies in Emotion and Social Interaction
Paul Ekman
University of California, San Francisco
Klaus R. Scherer
Univerite de Geneve
Justus-Liebig-Universitat Giessen
General Editors
The mechanism of human facial expression
fiLEGTRO-l'HYSIOLOGIE PHOTOGRAPHIQUE.
SPECIMEN
MECANISME
OF. LA
PHYSIONOMIE HUMAINE
ou
ANALYSE ELECTRO-PHYSIOLOGIQIE
DE LEXPRESSION DES PASSIONS
APPLICABLE A LA PRATIQUE DES ARTS PLASTIQFES
PAK LE DOCTEIK
G.-R. DUGHGNNE (de BoiUgie)
Laureat de I'ltutitat de France et de I'Academic de medecine de Paru (prix Hard).
Laurfat du concoan Napoleon HI sur I'AeetriciUS appliquee,
M«ubr« titalaira de la Social de mMecine de Paru,
Uenkre corretpondant 6e% Academie*, Univenilea et Suciete* de aaerfecine de Dret.le, Florence, Garni,
Geneve, Kieff, Uiptig, Madrid, Moacoa. Naplec, RoaM, Saint-P^tenboitrff, Storkholm,
Vienne, Wurtibourf, etc.
Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur.
ALBUM
PARIS
V JULES RENOUARD, LIBRAIRE
6, RUE DE TOURNON, 6.
1862

The mechanism of
human facial expression
by G.-B. Duchenne de Boulogne
Edited and Translated by R. Andrew Cuthbertson
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Studies in Emotion and Social Interaction
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Editions de la Maison des Sciences de l'Homme, as part of the joint pub-
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Cette collection est publiee en co-edition par Cambridge University Press
et les Editions de la Maison des Sciences de l'Homme. Elle s'integre dans
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© Cambridge University Press 1990
First published 1990
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Duchenne, G.-B. (Guillaume-Benjamin), 1806-1875.
[Mecanisme de la physionomie humaine. English]
The mechanism of human facial expression / by Duchenne de Boulogne
edited and translated by R. Andrew Cuthbertson.
p. cm. - (Studies in emotion and social interaction)
Translation of: Mecanisme de la physionomie humaine.
ISBN 0-521-36392-6
1. Facial expression - Physiological aspects. 2. Face - Muscles.
I. Cuthbertson, R. Andrew. II. Title. III. Series.
QP327.D8313 1990
612'.92-dc20 89-77825
CIP
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Boulogne, G.-B. Duchenne de
The mechanism of human facial expression. - (Studies in
emotion and social interaction).
1. Man. Facial expressions
I. Title II. Cuthbertson, R. Andrew III. Series.
IV. Mecanisme de la physionomie humaine. English
152.4
ISBN 0-521-36392-6 hardback
Transferred to digital printing 2003
To Paul Guilly, writer, neurologist, and psychiatrist of Paris, who
published the first modern appreciation of Duchenne in 1936 and
who offered kindness and encouragement to more recent discov-
erers of Duchenne de Boulogne.

Contents
Acknowledgments xiii
Contributors xiv
Editor's Preface xv
Part 1: The mechanism of human facial expression or an
electrophysiological analysis of the expression of
the emotions
Preface 1
A. Introduction 3
Chapter 1. A review of previous work on muscle action
in facial expression 3
I. A historical survey 3
II. Critical consideration of the various means of investigation
used in myology 6
III. The background to my electrophysiological research on
facial expression in movement 9
Chapter 2. Principal facts that emerge from my electrophys-
iological experiments 12
I. Isolated contractions of the muscles of the face 12
II. Combined contractions of the muscles of the face 16
III. The muscular synergy of the expressive movements of
the face 18
Chapter 3. The reliability of these experiments 20
Chapter 4. The purpose of my research 22
I. The application to anatomy and physiology 22
ix
x Contents
II. The application to psychology 24
III. The application to painting and sculpture 32
IV. A plan for the exposition of these studies 36
B. Scientific section 39
Foreword 39
Chapter 5. Anatomical preparations, and portraits of the
subjects who underwent electrophysiological
experiments 42
Captions to Plates 1, 2a, 2b, 3, 4, 5, 6 42
Further notes on these plates 42
Chapter 6. The muscle of attention (m. frontalis) 49
Captions to Plates 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 49
Further notes on these plates 49
Chapter 7. The muscle of reflection (superior part of
m. orbicularis oculi, that part of the muscle
called the sphincter of the eyelids) 52
Captions to Plates 12, 13, 14, 15 52
Further notes on these plates 52
Chapter 8. The muscle of aggression (tn. procerus) 56
Captions to Plates 16, 17, 18 56
Further notes on these plates 56
Chapter 9. The muscle of pain (m. corrugator supercilii) 60
Captions to Plates 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 60
Further notes on these plates 61
Chapter 10. The muscles of joy and benevolence
(m. zygomaticus major and the inferior part
of m. orbicularis oculi) 69
Captions to Plates 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 69
Further notes on these plates 70