Rugendas's landscape paintings are referred to throughout the book as "physiognomic." Physiognomy is (in general) the idea of discerning personal characteristics from physical features, especially the face. So how does this fit with our story? How does Rugendas's disfigurement relate?
Oh wow. Great question. Does the disfigurement undermine the whole physiognomy theory?
ReplyDeleteYou would assume so. I feel like I need to go back and look at the use of the term in the book. What does "physiognomic" mean in regard to landscape painting?
ReplyDeleteI thought the ending interesting in that Rugendas's disfigurement seems to give him special understanding and access to drawing other people's faces - in this case, the Indians. He was able to go where no other (white) person could go because of his face.
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