Physical details in portraits reveal a whole eloquent human biography.

Evidence

Intellect burns through pale indoor skin, like a torch behind a paper screen. Concentration has furrowed your brow, the effort of containing multiple ironies. When you practiced as a lawyer, you used to let your gown trail off one shoulder; admirers copied you, making carelessness a cult. You’ve not shaved to meet the painter. No time, and you’d like to be thought above such niceties; you’re not vain, unless such nonchalance is a vanity in itself. Everything is in your lineaments—past and future—a whole eloquent biography. — Hilary Mantel, A Memoir of My Former Self- A Life in…, 1151

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Character is sketched through specific physical details and social pressures — Hilary Mantel, A Memoir of My Former Self- A Life in…, 81; Portraits can pierce historical misrepresentation and reveal flawed human nature. — Hilary Mantel, A Memoir of My Former Self- A Life in…, 1149; Physical appearance details can instantly characterize a dangerous personality — Hilary Mantel, A Memoir of My Former Self- A Life in…, 326 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Portraitists focus on surface details while subjects practice concealment. #contradicts (0.55) — Hilary Mantel, A Memoir of My Former Self- A Life in…, 1158