Mlle. Jager, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This photographic print of Mlle. Jager was produced by William S. Kimball & Company as part of the Actresses series. Her upraised index fingers draw immediate attention. In antiquity, this gesture indicated rhetoric, direction, or divine inspiration. We can trace the origins of this gesture back to John the Baptist, who also used it to signify the coming of Christ. As we can see in Renaissance paintings, like Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece, 'The Virgin of the Rocks', where we can see John the Baptist portrayed with the same prominent upward-pointing index finger. Yet, the meaning shifted again during the Enlightenment, when the gesture was associated with reason, progress, and the guidance of the intellect. Here, it's fascinating how Mlle. Jager revives this powerful symbolic gesture, imbuing it with an emotional and psychological depth that resonates across centuries. It is a symbol that continues to evolve, adapting to new cultural contexts while retaining its core message of direction.