I found this paragraph in a discussion of paintings by Vermeer. Sounds like the Dutch word tronie and the French word trogne have been derived from a similar source.

The Tronie
"The now defunct term (tronie) refers to heads, "faces," or "expressions" (compare the French trogne, or "mug") and to a type of picture familiar from many examples by Rembrandt and his followers. The majority of Dutch tronies appear to have been based upon living models, including the artists in question or a colleague, but the works were not intended as portraits. Rather, they were meant as studies of expression, type, physiognomy, or any kind of interesting character (an old man, a young woman, a "Turk," a dashing soldier" and so on). Garments that looked foreign, "antique," costly, or simply curious were of interest for their own sake and frequently offered opportunities to show off painterly techniques. " 2