GESTI. - For the determination of ancient Christian iconographic scenes, the interpretation of gestures is very important, which Cicero defined as "the eloquence of the body" (cf. Quintilian, Instit., 11, 3, 1).
The Christian, as Tertullian teaches, prayed standing, in a humble and modest attitude, holding the hands raised and spread out in remembrance of the Lord's passion (De oratore, 14, 17). Origen recommended keeping the eyes raised (De oratore, 31: PG 11, 549). The gesture of teaching or of praelgere was that of the figure seated with the scroll open, surrounded by the audience (Suetonius, De gramm., 16); it is the gesture given to the Lord among the Apostolic College, both in the catacomb paintings and on the sarcophagi (e.g., in Wilpert, Sarcofagi, pl. 1, 1).
In ancient iconography one of the most important gestures is that of the imposition of hands, which can be used for the rite of blessing, as, for example, when Noah blesses his sons, Isaac blesses Jacob, etc., to confer supernatural gifts, as in the creation of man (Wilpert, Sarcofagi, pls. 96, 208, 10), in the multiplication of the loaves and fishes (id., Pitture, pl. 39, 2; id., Sarcofagi, pls. 1; 2; 11, 2; 65, 5), and in the Old Testament for the judgment of Susanna (id., Pitture, pl. 14; id., Sarcofagi, pl. 196, 1).
This gesture is very frequent in scenes of healing, e.g., of the paralytic (id., Pitture, pl. 212; id., Sarcofagi, pl. 229, 1), of the blind (id., Pitture, pl. 129, 2; id., Sarcofagi, pls. 143, 2; 227, 2; 230, 3), of the leper (id., Sarcofagi, pl. 220, 1), of the woman with the issue of blood (id., Pitture, pl. 20, 98, 130; id., Sarcofagi, pls. 39, 1; 99, 1; 123, 2), of the possessed (in a diptych of the Louvre, cf. H. Peirce - R. Taylor, L'art byzantin, I, Paris 1933, pl. 97).
The gesture of acclamation (as in the scene of the liberalitas Augusti on the triumphal arch of Constantine) is performed by the Apostles beside the crux tivizita on the sarcophagi, or by Peter and Paul on the triumphal arch of S. Maria Maggiore, at the side of the insignia Christi or also in catacomb paintings (Wilpert, Pitture, pl. 252).
A sacred object was received with veiled hands (G. B. De Rossi, in Bull. arch. crist., 4th series, 5 [1887], pl. 7). The oratorical gesture was the same as that in classical art, of which Quintilian (Instit., 11, 3, 119) and Apuleius (Metam., 2, 21) speak. The orator was represented holding the last two fingers of the right hand closed, extending the others and in some cases with the thumb lowered (Quintilian, Instit., 11, 3, 119; Apuleius, Metam., 2, 21).
Sometimes there is the gesture of supplication, of pros ratio, as in some catacomb paintings (Wilpert, Pitture, pl. 74, 2; cf. E. Josi, Corneterium majus. Di un arcosolio con nuove pitture, in Riv. di arch. crist., 10 [1933], p. 12, fig. 6), and on sarcophagi where the two spouses are prostrate at the feet of the Lord. There is also the gesture of invitation, e.g., on a sarcophagus where the shepherd caresses the sheep (Wilpert, Sarcofagi, pl. 82, 4); the shepherd's gesture of threat (ibid., pl. 48, 2-4); the gesture of fright performed by the terrified sailors when the prophet Jonah is swallowed by the monster (Wilpert, Sarcofagi, pl. 202); the gesture of grief was represented by the right hand beneath the chin (Cyprian, Ep., 11, 4), thus Jonah is often found in the catacomb paintings (Wilpert, Pitture, pl. 96, 100).
There is also, moreover, the apotropaic gesture against the evil eye performed by Pilate (Wilpert, Sarcofagi, pl. 13, p. 318). - See pl. XVII.
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Enrico Josi