Botten van de handen 1725

Jan Wandelaar’s ‘Bones of the Hands,’ made around the 18th century, is a detailed anatomical study rendered with ink. The disarticulated hand, a potent symbol, transcends mere scientific illustration. It echoes the ‘manus Dei,’ the hand of God, a motif prevalent since antiquity, symbolizing divine intervention. Consider Michelangelo's ‘Creation of Adam,’ where the divine spark is transmitted through near-touching hands. This gesture, laden with life-giving power, finds a stark contrast here. Wandelaar's skeletal hands, meticulously labeled, evoke the ‘memento mori’ tradition. What was once a conduit of divine energy is now a reminder of mortality. This stark representation invites contemplation on the fragility of existence. Even in its clinical depiction, the hand retains a ghostly echo of its life-affirming potential.