Boisot omhelst burgemeester van der Werff tijdens het ontzet van Leiden, 1574 1825

Willem Hendrik Hoogkamer made this print depicting Boisot embracing the mayor of Leiden, Van der Werff, in 1815. Consider the embrace, the central motif: a powerful symbol seen across epochs, from antiquity to today. This simple, human gesture appears in ancient Roman reliefs as a sign of peace, and it is echoed in Renaissance paintings to show reconciliation. Think, for instance, of the “Kiss of Judas” by Giotto, a perfidious gesture of recognition, yet still an embrace. In Hoogkamer’s print, the embrace speaks of gratitude, relief, and a shared triumph over adversity. It’s interesting to consider how such gestures become ingrained in our collective memory. The hug transcends mere physical contact, evoking a deep, subconscious connection. This emotional resonance echoes through time, surfacing in various forms to express profound human experiences. Observe how this image, like the act it depicts, becomes a cyclical return, a ‘pathos formula’ of human connection and emotional expression.