Marie Witsen als meisje (Amsterdam) c. 1860 - 1915

This photograph by Albert Greiner captures Marie Witsen as a girl in Amsterdam. The books behind Marie suggest knowledge and education, and the instrument perhaps points to her family’s appreciation for the arts. But it is her pose that intrigues us. Note her left hand resting gently on the chair, a gesture that echoes across centuries of portraiture, from Renaissance depictions of nobility to modern photographs. This gesture, seemingly simple, speaks to an underlying desire for stability and connection. One sees echoes of it in earlier votive images of the Virgin. There is something profoundly human in this recurring motif. The gesture’s repetition across different times and cultures suggests a shared, subconscious understanding of what it means to seek balance and support in an ever-changing world. These motifs are not static; they evolve, adapting to new contexts. Their persistence is proof of their enduring relevance, speaking to our collective memory.