Study for Belshazzar's Left Hand, for "Belshazzar's Feast;" verso: Belshazzar's Robe 1820 - 1828

Editor: This is Washington Allston’s "Study for Belshazzar's Left Hand," part of his preparations for "Belshazzar's Feast." The focus on the hand is compelling, and makes me wonder about its significance. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The hand, a powerful symbol across cultures, signifies agency, power, and, in this context, divine judgment. Allston is drawing upon centuries of artistic and religious interpretations of hands as instruments of fate. Consider the hand's gesture. What emotions does it evoke? Editor: I see a sense of tension and perhaps a little fear. I wonder if Allston was thinking of similar depictions in religious art? Curator: Precisely. The hand echoes depictions of divine intervention or pronouncements of doom. It reminds us of our mortality. Editor: It’s fascinating how a single hand can carry so much cultural weight. Curator: Indeed, a testament to the enduring power of visual symbols.