Duchenne de Boulogne is a 19th c. French neurologist who built a work devoted to the
human physiognomy. Independent researcher working in a private practice and having
held no official position, he became known to the academic world in 1855 by a very
technical publication: Localized electrization and its application to physiology, pathology and therapeutic [
[1]
]. Its totally innovative technique (electro-physiology) consisted in stimulating cranio-facial
muscle groups with high anatomical accuracy using very fine electrodes. Its aim was
to characterize the territories of innervation, and to «paint on the face of man the
expressive lines of the emotions of the soul» [
[2]
]. Later, using the same methodology, a more general work will become a bestseller
not in neurologists, but in artists (painters, engravers, sculptors) fond of representing
a perfect anatomical reality: Mechanism of human physiognomy or electrophysiological analysis of the expression
of passions [
[3]
].Keywords
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References
- De l'Électrisation localisée et de son application à la physiologie, à la pathologie et à la thérapeutique.Baillière, Paris1855
- L'oeuvre scientifique de Duchenne de Boulogne. Discours prononcé au Congrès de Boulogne le 21 septembre 1899.Revue Internationale d'électrothérapie. 1899; 3: 69-90
- Mécanisme de la physionomie humaine, ou Analyse électrophysiologie de l'expression des passions applicable à la pratique des arts plastiques.Jules Renouard, Paris1862
Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 03, 2017
Accepted:
May 2,
2017
Received:
April 21,
2017
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
