Speaker: Kristen Miller-Zohn
Director of Collections and Exhibitions
The Columbus Museum
Director of Collections and Exhibitions
The Columbus Museum
The Reading of Character
In Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, Fanny Price's East room is decorated with various keepsakes, including portraits of family members in profile, a type of portraiture that was very fashionable at the time. Profiles were linked to the study of physiognomy, a popular pseudo-science that contended a person's character could be ascertained through the study of their facial features. Not only did the theory impact the visual arts, but physiognomic descriptions were included in novels, and Austen knew both visual and literary examples. Fanny's possession of the family profiles might reflect the fact that she is able to read the characters of those around her.
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We had a great meeting with much intellectual fare as well as some of the comestible type!
Thanks to all who helped make it a success.
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