Portret van Bernhard Walther Marperger 1751

This is Johann Wilhelm Windter's etched portrait of Bernhard Walter Marperger. The pastor gestures outward, holding a book of musical scores. His raised hand, a symbol deeply rooted in the Western consciousness, has echoed through history, from classical orators to religious figures bestowing blessings. Consider the implications of Marperger's gesture: it’s not merely a benign benediction, but an active invocation. This gesture, charged with the power of transference, appears across the ages. In antiquity, the raised hand signified authority and command. Later, the early Church adopted it to transmit divine grace. But, the gesture also betrays the subject's hubris and self-importance. Marperger seems to be commanding the viewer to respect his social position. This is a motif that continues to resurface, revealing the complex dance between the sacred and the self-serving. The echoes of this simple gesture resonate with the psychological undercurrents of power and belief.