Studies of Hands 1880 - 1892

Alphonse Legros made this study of hands in the 19th century with graphite on paper. Hands, the instruments of creation and action, have been a potent symbol throughout art history. Consider the hand holding a quill, poised to write. We see echoes of the divine hand, bestowing blessings or writing destinies, a motif that winds its way from ancient Roman sarcophagi to medieval depictions of God creating the world. The motif of the hand takes on new, complex meanings, suggesting not just power, but the human capacity for expression, for articulating thoughts and shaping reality. Think of the open palm: throughout time, it has symbolized offering, supplication, or even vulnerability. When Legros sketches it here, it's impossible not to see how this basic human gesture echoes through centuries of art, each repetition layering new shades of meaning onto the original form. The study of hands becomes a study of history itself.