Portret van bisschop Michiel Ophovius 1867 - 1874

This is Jan Mesker’s portrait of Bishop Michiel Ophovius, rendered with etching. Notice the bishop’s hand, extended in a gesture that feels both welcoming and authoritative. This is not merely a lifelike depiction but a conscious invocation of a visual language deeply embedded in our collective memory. The open hand, seen across epochs from ancient Roman oratory to Christian iconography, has signified truth, benediction, and power. Yet, its meaning evolves. In medieval art, it might represent divine favor, while in a Renaissance painting, it could symbolize humanism and intellectual discourse. The persistent recurrence of this gesture speaks to its archetypal power. It taps into our subconscious, stirring emotions and associations that transcend time. Such visual echoes remind us that art is not created in a vacuum but is part of an ongoing dialogue with the past.