Apostel Paulus neemt afscheid van de ouderlingen van Efeze 1697

This anonymous engraving captures the Apostle Paul bidding farewell to the elders of Ephesus. Notice the outstretched hands, a gesture laden with emotional weight, evoking a sense of parting and benediction. This motif echoes across time and cultures, resurfacing in various guises. Consider the "adlocutio" gesture in Roman art, where emperors address their troops, or even the act of Christ blessing his disciples. Here, the gesture has undergone a transformation. The hand, now a symbol of emotional exchange, embodies a collective memory of departure and goodwill. The emotional charge of this scene—the clinging, the reaching—taps into our shared human experience of separation. These universal gestures create a powerful connection, engaging us on a subconscious level. Thus, this image continues to resonate, not merely as a depiction of a biblical event, but as a mirror reflecting our own emotional landscapes across the ages.