The reason no doubt is, that in works of art, beauty is the chief object;
and strongly contracted facial muscles destroy beauty.[19] The
story of the composition is generally told with wonderful force
and truth by skilfully given accessories.

[19] See remarks to this effect in Lessing's `Lacooon,' translated
by W. Ross, 1836, p. 19.

Fifthly, it seemed to me highly important to ascertain whether
the same expressions and gestures prevail, as has often been
asserted without much evidence, with all the races of mankind,
especially with those who have associated but little
with Europeans. Whenever the same movements of the features
or body express the same emotions in several distinct races of man,
we may infer with much probability, that such expressions
are true ones,--that is, are innate or instinctive.
Conventional expressions or gestures, acquired by the individual
during early life, would probably have differed in the
different races, in the same manner as do their languages.
Accordingly I circulated, early in the year 1867, the following
printed queries with a request, which has been fully responded to,
that actual observations, and not memory, might be trusted.
These queries were written after a considerable interval of time,
during which my attention had been otherwise directed,
and I can now see that they might have been greatly improved.
To some of the later copies, I appended, in manuscript,
a few additional remarks:--

(1.) Is astonishment expressed by the eyes and mouth being opened wide,
and by the eyebrows being raised?