Facts or faces, or, The mutual connexion between linear and mental portraiture morally considered, and pictorially illustrated by a series of graphic heads of all the dispositions of the mind : with a dissertation on personal beauty, showing what it is, and what is mistaken for it, by a comprehensive view of constructive, ornamental, and expressive beauty, and their relative importance to each other also, an essay on complexion of character / by Thomas Woolnorth.

  • Woolnorth, Thomas.
Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Facts or faces, or, The mutual connexion between linear and mental portraiture morally considered, and pictorially illustrated by a series of graphic heads of all the dispositions of the mind : with a dissertation on personal beauty, showing what it is, and what is mistaken for it, by a comprehensive view of constructive, ornamental, and expressive beauty, and their relative importance to each other also, an essay on complexion of character / by Thomas Woolnorth. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    they learn nothing which they ought to know, and unlearn nothing which they never should have known; and instead of outgrowing their mistakes, their succeeding time is spent in strengthening them. Should this mode of education equip them for conceited authors, no disappointment can await them; for they draw encouragement from their very failures; when any blunder their praises on them, they consider them the knowing and discerning few ; but if overlooked, they have only to pity their folly, and profit by their ignorance. If artists, and they have painted a portrait which shall happen to be the likeness of nothing which is in earth, sea, or air, they are astonished that no one can see the resemblance but themselves ; their historical productions, they think, transcend the very transactions them- selves ; and look at them till they almost fancy they gave birth to the events; their ideal pieces, being past all human imaginings may really be called their own; while their matter of fact imitations they consider to be more like nature than nature itself. Should they be the subjects of musical Conceits, their heads are full of crotchets, and they are out of harmony with the whole profession ; such frequently are their vagaries in the act of playing and singing, that you would fancy every muscle was inspired ; while if they cannot induce the same sensations in others, they look round upon the unmoving tameness of the audience, and wonder why (like Orpheus) they cannot make the savage race get up and dance; still they look at every little inattention, “more in pity than in anger;” they know that taste is not transferable, and lend them a few expressive smiles, which, however courteous their hearers may take them, are intended for their stupidity. The airs, as well as the graces, which these Apollonicans give themselves, are quite in unison with this. One of these musical constellations called upon a gentleman who resided in an upper story; when affairs were ended, and the resident, according to custom, was walking down stairs after him him to see him out; he suddenly stopped short in the middle of the staircase, and kept the gentleman in waiting behind him, while he sung out part of an affected air, with a long ad-lihitum cadence, and so having delivered himself