Ragnhild Bäckström c. 1894

Edvard Munch painted this portrait of Ragnhild Bäckström in oil, a work that encapsulates the solemnity and introspection characteristic of his oeuvre. Notice the clasped hands—a motif echoing across centuries, from Dürer’s praying hands to figures in Renaissance portraiture. It symbolizes piety, supplication, but also, a sense of contained anxiety. Here, the hands, rendered with a delicate softness, suggest a vulnerability, a silent plea. This gesture reappears throughout art history, each time subtly shifting in meaning yet retaining its core of human entreaty and emotional containment. The psychological weight of this symbol is powerful; it resonates with our own subconscious understanding of vulnerability and unspoken desires. As we observe Bäckström, we are drawn into a shared space of human emotion, reflecting on the cyclical nature of these deeply rooted expressions.