Udkast til bibelsk komposition, Englen forkynder Jesu opstandelse for kvinderne 1864 - 1941

This sketch by Niels Larsen Stevns captures the moment an angel announces Jesus’s resurrection to the women. Note the angel’s raised arm—a gesture laden with significance. The raised arm appears throughout art history, from ancient Roman orators to depictions of divine figures. Consider its echoes in classical depictions of Victory, or Nike, her arm raised in triumph, a motif adopted and adapted across millennia. Over time, the gesture evolves, shifting from asserting earthly dominance to signifying spiritual transcendence, yet each use retains the echo of its predecessors. The subconscious power of such gestures lies in their ability to tap into shared human experiences of awe, authority, and revelation, engaging viewers on a visceral level. Thus, the angel’s arm, in Stevns's vision, not only declares a miraculous event, but also joins a non-linear, cyclical progression, resurfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings across different historical contexts.