As I was perusing one of my favorite art blogs, but does it float, I came across the sculptures by Franz Xaver Messerschmidt (February 6, 1736 – August 19, 1783). He is well known for his Character Heads, a collection of busts exhibiting a range of contorted facial expressions. Messerschmidt was a German-Austrian artist and sculptor who according to a transcript compiled by German author Friedrich Nicolai in 1781, had for many years "been suffering from an undiagnosed digestive complaint, now believed to be Crohn's disease, which caused him considerable discomfort. In order to focus his thoughts away from his condition, Messerschmidt devised a series of pinches he administered to his right lower rib. Observing the resulting facial expressions in a mirror, Messerschmidt then set about recording them in marble and bronze. His intention, he told Nicolai, was to represent the 64 "canonical grimaces" of the human face using himself as a template" (Wikipedia entry for Franz Xaver Messerschmidt).
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| Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, Afflicted with Constipation, 1771–83, lead-tin cast |
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Character Head: The Hanged, 1770 - 1783, alabaster |
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| The Yawner, 1771-81, tin cast |
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| A Hypocrite and Slanderer, 1771–83, metal cast |
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| The Beaked, 1781, alabaster |
xKlara
I love "but does it float"....
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