The text elaborates on how expressions, both in animals and humans, can be depicted and compared through art. It gives examples of how certain individuals and their expressions can be likened to different animals, such as a soldier to a crow or a vigilant man to a rooster. The passage encourages using these comparisons to enrich artistic representations, highlighting the significance of observing varied human expressions for the art of painting.
Page 202 Observation of Expressions, Lineage, and Impressions
The expressions depicted here, as in the case of the Greyhound, can clearly show the influence of a loyal family dog, offering an analogy to the trustworthy father of a respectable family. If we may use well-known figures to illustrate this, parallels can be drawn with the ancient images of Titus Livius, the renowned historian, compared to how our Greyhound's expressions manifest in many scenarios.
A soldier, a robber or a pirate, will not obscurely display the expressions of a crow or a raven. A sly jester, who seems wise in their own eyes, can be quite comparably represented by an owl's head. To illustrate a vigilant and diligent man, one can use the expressions of a rooster. Likewise, a keen observer or a word-eater may be aptly compared to the expressions of an eagle or falcon, vividly portraying them. Upon further reflection, these examples can be shown in the presented depiction-sketches.
Now, let's transition from animal expressions to those of humans, where we will discern many varied forms of heads, faces, traits, incisions, and diverse beings, all of which are, however, human. This observation will be found highly suitable and beneficial for painting, providing the means not only by powerful imagination, but through various expressions and clear representations of passions.
Translation Notes
"Troniën" directly translates to "faces" or "countenances," while "Sweming" refers to expressions or likenesses used here in an artistic context. The term "Beschouwing" means contemplation or observation and is used to convey a thoughtful approach to representation in art.