Jacob Blessing Ephraim and Manasseh, from "Dalziels' Bible Gallery" 1881

This print by Frederick Richard Pickersgill illustrates Jacob blessing his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh. The patriarchal blessing, a symbol of familial continuity and divine favor, is central here. Jacob's hands, crossed in a deliberate act, defy the natural order of inheritance, a visual motif charged with meaning. Consider the gesture of blessing – a hand raised or placed upon the head, a conduit of grace. We find echoes of it in countless images across cultures, from the laying on of hands in religious rituals to the benedictions of secular leaders. Yet, here, the crossing of hands introduces a disruption. It challenges the viewer to confront notions of destiny and divine intervention. This motif transcends mere representation; it taps into primal anxieties about legacy and succession. In the Renaissance, similar gestures appear in depictions of familial inheritance, laden with political implications. The blessing hand has evolved to represent an unbroken chain, resurfacing and taking on new meanings in different historical contexts.