Historical Anatomy Images: Anonymous Treatise on Physiognomy, ca. 1790
Historical Anatomy Images: Anonymous Treatise on Physiognomy, ca. 1790
This post presents selected public domain historical images from Anonymous, [Treatise on physiognomy], a manuscript preserved in the U.S. National Library of Medicine collection. The work is listed in NLM Historical Anatomies on the Web as a manuscript probably composed in the Netherlands around the 1790s.
 |
| Public domain historical image from Anonymous, [Treatise on physiognomy], ca. 1790. Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine. |
 |
| Public domain historical image from Anonymous, [Treatise on physiognomy], ca. 1790. Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine. |
Physiognomy was historically understood as the attempt to relate a person’s character, temperament, or personality to the visible form of the face, head, or body. Today, physiognomy is not accepted as a modern scientific method for evaluating personality, intelligence, or behavior. However, historical works on physiognomy are valuable for understanding the visual culture of anatomy, medicine, facial proportions, morphology, and early attempts to interpret external human form.
 |
| Public domain historical image from Anonymous, [Treatise on physiognomy], ca. 1790. Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine. |
 |
| Public domain historical image from Anonymous, [Treatise on physiognomy], ca. 1790. Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine. |
 |
| Public domain historical image from Anonymous, [Treatise on physiognomy], ca. 1790. Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine. |
The manuscript includes drawings of facial proportions, heads in profile, skulls, mandible drawings, and anatomical sketches related to the face and head. These images are shared here as part of the AnatomyLogia visual archive for educational, historical, and anatomical illustration purposes.
 |
| Public domain historical image from Anonymous, [Treatise on physiognomy], ca. 1790. Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine. |
 |
| Public domain historical image from Anonymous, [Treatise on physiognomy], ca. 1790. Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine. |
 |
| Public domain historical image from Anonymous, [Treatise on physiognomy], ca. 1790. Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine. |
The images in this post should not be interpreted as modern scientific evidence for physiognomy. Instead, they are presented as historical visual materials that reflect the development of anatomical illustration, medical education, and the study of human facial morphology in earlier centuries.
 |
| Public domain historical image from Anonymous, [Treatise on physiognomy], ca. 1790. Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine. |
 |
| Public domain historical image from Anonymous, [Treatise on physiognomy], ca. 1790. Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine. |
Source and credit:
U.S. National Library of Medicine, Historical Anatomies on the Web.
Anonymous. [Treatise on physiognomy]. [Netherlands?, ca. 1790].
Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine.
Rights and usage note:
This is an 18th-century historical manuscript. The images are presented here as public domain historical anatomy materials for educational, historical reference, and visual archive purposes. Credit is given with the statement “Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine.”
AnatomyLogia note:
These images are being reviewed for possible educational use in AnatomyLogia, a bilingual anatomy learning app designed for medical, dental, pharmacy, and health sciences students. AnatomyLogia uses public domain historical anatomy images, open-license educational materials, and original educational content.
Comments