Upper Portions of the East (window) Wall 1465

These frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli, adorning the Sant'Agostino Church in San Gimignano, depict scenes from the life of Saint Augustine, rich with symbolic weight. Note the motif of the book, emblem of knowledge and divine wisdom, central to Augustine's intellectual journey. This book, a recurring symbol, appears across cultures, from ancient Egyptian scrolls to illuminated manuscripts. Consider how the act of bestowing a blessing or a gift, seen in several panels, transcends mere action. It evokes the 'manus dei,' the hand of God, a gesture ubiquitous from Roman imperial art to Byzantine mosaics. These hands, reaching, offering, remind us of our primal need for connection and divine grace, echoing through millennia of artistic expression. Such recurring motifs aren't mere repetitions; they are carriers of collective memory, resonating within us, their echoes stirring subconscious recognition and emotional depths.