Standing Male Figure with Right Arm Extended (recto); Seated Male Figure (verso) 1540 - 1597

Romulo Cincinnato rendered this study of a nude male figure in ink sometime in the late 16th century. The figure’s outstretched arm immediately calls to mind gestures of classical orators and ancient statues, symbols of power and command. Consider how this motif reappears through time, such as in Roman imperial imagery, where the emperor extends his hand in a gesture of adlocutio, addressing his troops. We can find examples even earlier. Think of the many times the hand appears in Ancient Egyptian art. The pose's emotional power lies in its inherent ambiguity; Is the figure offering or demanding? Blessing or threatening? It touches something deep within us; a primal recognition of authority and interaction. Such gestures are not static. They evolve, are reinterpreted, and continue to exert their influence. It reflects our collective memory, shaped by cultural and psychological forces, revealing how symbols persist and transform across time.