Thursday, October 22, 2026
Science

What faces in paintings can tell us about how we perceive emotion

Look closely at a face in a painting and you might think you know what emotion the person is experiencing. A smile suggests happiness. A furrowed brow might signal anger. Widened eyes could mean fear or surprise. But what happens when you ask lots of people the same question? Do they see the same em...

What faces in paintings can tell us about how we perceive emotion
Image: Phys.org
Look closely at a face in a painting and you might think you know what emotion the person is experiencing. A smile suggests happiness. A furrowed brow might signal anger. Widened eyes could mean fear or surprise. But what happens when you ask lots of people the same question? Do they see the same emotion, or something more complicated?

Originally published at Phys.org

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