# Poll - What emotion do you see on this face? (detail from famous painting) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** arts-crafts\ **Created:** [September 7, 2023, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748 "2023-09-07T20:19:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/1 "2023-09-07T20:19:04Z")
_Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/1))_ This picture is a detail from a famous painting. I’m interested to know, what emotion(s) do you read in this expression? I’ll give my own thoughts after a few other people have answered. Anyone who recognizes the painting please do not answer. [![](https://i.ibb.co/JQVWc6s/Picture.jpg) ](https://i.ibb.co/JQVWc6s/Picture.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/2 "2023-09-07T20:19:52Z")
Distrust. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/3 "2023-09-07T20:24:09Z")
Lust, or more generally, desire. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/4 "2023-09-07T20:25:35Z")
Anticipation. He seems to look like someone who just put someone in checkmate, and is waiting for his opponent to realize it. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/5 "2023-09-07T20:33:08Z")
Anticipation was my other thought. He looks like he’s excited about something. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/6 "2023-09-07T20:42:51Z")
None of the available choices fits for me. I see the expression as “mischievous,” specifically that he appears to be observing something and is perceiving the opportunity for a prankish response or followup. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/7 "2023-09-07T20:44:01Z")
I will also go with anticipation. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/8 "2023-09-07T21:07:01Z")
I’d say it’s an _enthusiastically pugnacious_ anticipation — you know, like Popeye, or a guy at the end of the bar cheerfully asking you if you want to repeat that to his face. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/9 "2023-09-07T21:08:51Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > None of the available choices fits for me. I see the expression as “mischievous,” specifically that he appears to be observing something and is perceiving the opportunity for a prankish response or followup. I picked “amusement” as well as “other,” and what you describe is the “other” for me. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/10 "2023-09-07T21:16:50Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Anyone who recognizes the painting please do not answer. Point of clarification: if we recognize the painting, were we not supposed to vote? Or just not give away the identity of the painting? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/11 "2023-09-07T21:20:22Z")
I want to know people’s thoughts based on seeing the face, and nothing else. If you know the painting, you may already know what emotion it is supposed to represent. In which case it would bias the poll if you vote. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/12 "2023-09-07T21:21:21Z")
I’m going to go with “a shifty bastard looking to get away with something.” ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/13 "2023-09-07T21:22:01Z")
I would say contempt, anger. Like " How can I get back at this bastard?" ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/14 "2023-09-07T21:22:41Z")
Satisfaction at seeing someone get their comeuppance. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/15 "2023-09-07T21:24:25Z")
I see a man wearing a blue and black dress. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/16 "2023-09-07T21:30:18Z")
I voted “Other” and without having read the answers so far (and without knowing the painting), I see a guy who’s satisfied and happy about a deal he’s just done with the person he faces and we don’t see. There’s also a bit of glee, because maybe he took them to the cleaners. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/17 "2023-09-07T21:34:29Z")
Agree w most of the folks above. He’s a shrewd player who’s just finished setting up the kill and is watching the victim walking right into the trap. It’s happy anticipation of something bad about to happen to somebody else. Whether that’s an assassination, or simply losing a poker hand to a stacked deck I can’t say. I wonder if there’s any connection between the motivation for this question and the motivation for the OP’s avatar? I actually half-expected the poll to be about his avatar, but the parenthetical ruled that fun idea out. Maybe @Peter_Morris should have another poll: What means the expression on his avatar’s face? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/18 "2023-09-07T21:34:36Z")
I see a guy shifting around to try to relieve the pain from his hemorrhoids. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/19 "2023-09-07T21:38:52Z")
I see a sneer of contempt. Does the ambiguity derive from the fact that you can’t see the edges of his mouth? I think my brain seems to want to fill in a downturned mouth in a sneer, but I can force it to put in an upturned mouth instead, which changes the expression considerably, into something more like smug satisfaction. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748/20 "2023-09-07T21:40:26Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > I see a sneer of contempt. Yes, this also. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-emotion-do-you-see-on-this-face-detail-from-famous-painting/989748.md?page=2)