Study of Hands 

This study of hands was drawn by John Singer Sargent with graphite on paper. The motif of clasped hands is ancient, appearing in funerary art from antiquity where it signified farewell, the final handshake between the living and the dead. We see a similar gesture in depictions of Roman marriage, the joining of hands representing concordia, the harmony between husband and wife. In medieval and Renaissance art, the handshake often seals a vow, as in depictions of betrothals or Christ giving the keys to Saint Peter. Here, the rendering is less formal. The hands are intertwined, yet the connection between them is ambiguous. One hand seems to grasp the other, but without tenderness. I wonder, does this modern depiction, stripped of its historical and religious context, reflect a more secular, yet equally complex understanding of human relationships, one charged with the subconscious? The motif persists, echoing through time, transformed yet still resonating with our deepest emotions.