The Facial Expressions of Animals

The Dutch say, "greedy dog," because elephants are not common to them. The foolish donkey, the amusing monkey, the vagabond goat, the untamable bull, the impure pig, the mute fish, and even the chatterers are very similar to humans. Just as the characteristics of animals are largely seen in the expression of their faces, these become even more apparent when the emotions within people manifest according to the inclination of such animals. The moving cause, which usually inclines an animal thus, reflects expressions with various features that make these beasts even more similar to people. We often say, he roars like a lion, bites like a dog, kicks like a mad horse, sees like an eagle, is as stern as a bull, was a cruel tiger. He looked as flat as an owl or, like a donkey that measured the wild water, and the like. The philosopher Aristotle, and the great healer Hippocrates, Porta and many others, have endeavored to derive many signs and expressions from the forehead, eyes, nose, mouth, lips, and neck to predict various things in people. Yet, the art of painting does not need all these things in its utmost elaboration, but can manage with a rough or general scheme adequately. And although many do not place much faith in facial observation, we cannot entirely deny that there are many signs founded on experience. In short, it must be noted that some signs are innate, and others are acquired.

Translation Notes: The word "Sweming" translates to "expression" or "facial expression". The term "beweigende oorſaak" is translated as "moving cause," referring to what drives emotions.