13 figure studies 

This study by Johann Ludwig Ernst Morgenstern, now held at the Städel Museum, captures a range of figures, their gestures speaking volumes. Note the pair on the right, with one figure’s open palms. This gesture, a form of demonstratio, has ancient roots. We see it echoed in Roman oratory, a technique used to persuade, to command attention. This motif of open hands, a beacon across time, reminds us of similar displays in Renaissance paintings, in scenes of annunciation or dramatic appeals. The gesture resurfaces and becomes embedded in our collective memory, charged with different emotional and cultural meanings, yet still recognizable. There is an unconscious, psychological element, I believe, to why we respond so readily to this form. It taps into our primal understanding of communication. It is an example of how a symbol is never static, but always in flux, reflecting the ceaseless currents of human experience and memory.