Slight lowering of the angle of the mouth due to depression (left); False laughter (right)

Guillaume-Benjamin-Amant Duchenne (de Boulogne)

National Gallery of Art

The image shows an upper-body portrait of a person facing the camera. The individual is seated upright, with their face prominently visible. They have straight, dark hair that is pulled back tightly, revealing a clear forehead. Their facial expression appears neutral, with a closed-lipped smile and slightly narrowed eyebrows. The person is dressed in a dark garment with lighter-colored buttons near the neckline over a lighter inner shirt. A hand, not belonging to the individual, is visible in the lower-left corner of the image, holding a string or wire that is in contact with the person's cheek. The background of the image is a plain, neutral tone with no discernible details.