Studie van een hand 1770 - 1825

Here we see Simon Andreas Krausz’s chalk drawing, ‘Study of a Hand’, created sometime around the late 18th to early 19th century. At the time, the hand was a symbol laden with meaning and an expression of class and gender. Krausz’s study of a hand encourages us to think about the social status connected with hands, particularly in relation to gendered labor. During this period, hands were often represented to convey the perceived idleness or industriousness of people. A delicate hand might signify a life of leisure afforded to upper-class women, in contrast to the calloused hands of working-class individuals. What then do we make of this somewhat androgynous hand? Is this a deliberate attempt to push against the representations of hands that were typical for that time, to develop an alternative narrative that transcends societal expectations? This drawing reminds us to consider the narratives we construct around the human form, and how deeply these notions are embedded in our cultural perceptions and the impact this has on our emotional responses to art.