The Regentesses of the Old Men’s Almshouse in Haarlem 1880 - 1883

James Ensor sketched this drawing, 'The Regentesses of the Old Men’s Almshouse in Haarlem', sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. Here, Ensor presents us with hands—symbols of power, control, and perhaps, anxiety. These hands, gnarled and clasped, evoke a long lineage of such gestures in art. Think of the praying hands of Dürer, imbued with piety, or the clenched fists in revolutionary art, symbols of defiance. The hands, as Ensor renders them, carry a weight, both literal and metaphorical. They suggest the burden of responsibility, but also the latent tension that power brings. It's a psychological drama played out through the subtle shifts in posture and pressure. We see not just hands, but the weight of history, duty, and the psychological unease that comes with wielding authority. The image reveals how cultural symbols evolve, carrying echoes of the past into the present.