Old Schoolfellows, from "Illustrated London News" 1855

This print by Harvey Orrin Smith from the Illustrated London News, presents a scene laden with 19th-century pathos, centered on themes of comfort and grief. Observe how the artist uses the motif of touch: a hand placed on the shoulder, a head bowed in sorrow. These gestures evoke the classical Pietà, where the Virgin Mary cradles the deceased Christ, a universal symbol of mourning and compassion. This harks back to ancient expressions of sorrow, seen even in Egyptian sarcophagi where gestures conveyed protection and mourning. The act of comforting, manifested here, is not merely a physical gesture, but a deeply ingrained cultural response to suffering. It resurfaces throughout art history, evolving yet retaining its primal essence. Note the cyclical progression of these symbols, how they resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts, engaging our subconscious on a profound level.