St. Peter, after his delivery from prison by the angel 1848

William Bouguereau painted St. Peter, after his delivery from prison by the angel, depicting Peter's miraculous escape and reunion with his followers. The raised hands, a common gesture here, transcend mere expression. Consider their echo through time, from ancient Roman orators to the fervent gestures in Renaissance paintings. It is a primal expression of awe, supplication, or appeal to a higher power. Note the contrast with Peter’s more restrained, open-palmed gesture, a symbol of blessing or absolution. We find the hand motif again and again, each time inflected by cultural and historical context. These gestures tap into our collective memory, awakening emotions and connecting us to a shared past. The artist understood how such powerful, universally understood signs could resonate on a deep, subconscious level, and in the non-linear progression of symbols, resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.