Turning the Left Cheek Examined using Modern Photography

LaBar, Martin

doi:10.1038/245338a0

Cited by 42 publications

(25 citation statements)

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“…However, this bias may also arise from biomechanical constraints related to the natural swing of the arm and the direction of the main features of the face as drawn on the canvas [14]. This problem does not apply to a study of photographic portraits in two college yearbooks [15]. Even in this dataset, however, information on how the pictures were taken and later selected for inclusion in the yearbooks would be needed to interpret the results.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-Portraits: Smartphones Reveal a Side Bias in Non-Artists

Bruno

Bertamini

2013

PLoS ONE

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According to surveys of art books and exhibitions, artists prefer poses showing the left side of the face when composing a portrait and the right side when composing a self-portrait. However, it is presently not known whether similar biases can be observed in individuals that lack formal artistic training. We collected self-portraits by naïve photographers who used the iPhone™ front camera, and confirmed a right side bias in this non-artist sample and even when biomechanical constraints would have favored the opposite. This result undermines explanations based on posing conventions due to artistic training or biomechanical factors, and is consistent with the hypothesis that side biases in portraiture and self-portraiture are caused by biologically- determined asymmetries in facial expressiveness.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-Portraits: Smartphones Reveal a Side Bias in Non-Artists

Bruno

Bertamini

2013

PLoS ONE

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“…This posing bias has been found in as disparate contexts as yearbook photos (LaBar, 1973), selfies (Bruno et al, 2013;Bruno et al, 2015), photographs of infants and non-human mammals , and in portraits of Jesus (Acosta, Williamson, & Heilman, 2013). Although the leftward posing bias is widespread, there are certain contexts in which this bias disappears.…”

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confidence: 97%

“…In photographs and paintings, individuals tend to be portrayed showing more of their left cheek than right (Bruno, Bertamini, & Martinez, 2013;Bruno, Bertamini, Protti, & Guo, 2015;Humphrey & McManus, 1973;LaBar, 1973;Thomas, Burkitt, Patrick, & Elias, 2008b). This posing bias has been found in as disparate contexts as yearbook photos (LaBar, 1973), selfies (Bruno et al, 2013;Bruno et al, 2015), photographs of infants and non-human mammals , and in portraits of Jesus (Acosta, Williamson, & Heilman, 2013).…”

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confidence: 99%

Left wings to the left: Posing and perceived political orientation

Duerksen

Elias

2017

Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition

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“…Similarly, Gordon (1974) reported that portraits of females by Goya showed more of the left side of the face than the right, whereas portraits of males displayed an asymmetry in the opposite direction. The leftward side has also been reported for a collection of 4180 singlesubject paintings, photographs, etchings and drawings (Conesa et al 1995) and for photographs taken for school yearbooks (LaBar 1973). In addition to the preference for portraying the left side of the face, the direction of lighting usually comes from the model's right (Coles 1974;GrÏsser et al 1988).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fact that a leftward bias exists in photographic portraits (LaBar 1973) further militates against a simple right-hand bias. also rejected a simple mechanical account of the leftward bias in portraiture.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Laterality of expression in portraiture: putting your best cheek forward

Nicholls

Clode

Wood

et al. 1999

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

115

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Portraits, both photographic and painted, are often produced with more of one side of the face showing than the other. Typically, the left side of the face is overrepresented, with the head turned slightly to the sitter's right. This leftward bias is weaker for painted male portraits and non-existent for portraits of scientists from the Royal Society. What mechanism might account for this bias? Examination of portraits painted by left-and right-handers and of self-portraits suggests that the bias is not determined by a mechanical preference of the artist or by the viewer's aesthetics. The leftward bias seems to be determined by the sitters and their desire to display the left side of their face, which is controlled by the emotive, right cerebral hemisphere. When we asked people to portray as much emotion as possible when posing for a family portrait, they tended to present the left side of their face. When asked to pose as scientists and avoid portraying emotion, participants tended to present their right side. The motivation to portray emotion, or conceal it, might explain why portraits of males show a reduced leftward bias, and also why portraits of scientists from the Royal Society show no leftward bias.

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Turning the Left Cheek Examined using Modern Photography

Cited by 42 publications

References 1 publication

Self-Portraits: Smartphones Reveal a Side Bias in Non-Artists

Self-Portraits: Smartphones Reveal a Side Bias in Non-Artists

Left wings to the left: Posing and perceived political orientation

Laterality of expression in portraiture: putting your best cheek forward

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