Desire (from "Heads Representing the Various Passions of the Soul; as they are Expressed in the Human Countenance: Drawn by that Great Master Monsieur Le Brun")

Art Historical Context

Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, where we encounter *Desire*, a captivating 1765 engraving with etching from the series *Heads Representing the Variousions of the Soul*. Created by an anonymous British artist after designs by the renowned 17th-century French master Charles Le Brun, and published by Robert Sayer this print measures 11¼ x 7¼ inches vividly captures a woman's face alight with longing. Le Brun, director of the French Royal Academy, developed these expressive heads in the 1660s to illustrate the physiological manifestations of human emotions, drawing from René Descartes' theories on the passions. Widely influential in European art education, acting, and physiognomy studies, the series became a cornerstone for teaching how to depict inner states through facial features—here, desire conveyed through wide eyes, parted lips, and a subtle tilt of the head. Printed via engraving and etching for precise line work and tonal depth, this affordable reproduction democratized Le Brun's Baroque-era insights for 18th-century British audiences. It reflects the Enlightenment fascination with the human psyche, blending science, art, and emotion in a timeless study of the soul's expressions.