The ‘W’ gesture by Dara Theodora
Guest: Dara Theodora
Recorded : Monday 22nd December 2025, online.
Published : Monday 2nd February, 2026.
Recording language: English
Keywords
gestures; semiology / semiotics; art; history; meaning; culture; aesthetics; portraits; artists; symbolism
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the “W” gesture
03:02 The historical importance of the gesture
05:33 Theories on the meaning of the gesture
07:49 Symbolism and contemporary interpretations
10:01 Bronzino
12:30 The mystery endures…
16:10 The aesthetics of the hand in art
16:55 Artistic choices and their impact
18:29 Symbolism and meaning in portraits
19:46 The evolution of gestures in art
21:19 Cultural influence on art
22:17 Human representation and its limits
23:25 Cultural biases in artistic interpretation
24:52 The importance of grace in posing
25:50 Final reflections
Summary
In this episode, Sophia Burnett and Dara Theodora explore visual semiology through the lens of gesture, focusing in particular on a specific gesture that has traversed Spanish and Renaissance art. They discuss the meaning of this gesture, its use by various artists, and theories concerning its origin.
Sommaire
Dans cet épisode, Sophia Burnett et Dara Theodora explorent la sémiologie visuelle à travers le prisme des gestes, en particulier un geste spécifique qui a traversé l'histoire de l'art. Elles discutent de la signification de ce geste, de son utilisation par divers artistes, et des théories sur son origine.
Dara Theodora is a Vermont-based visual artist and writer. Her work draws on mythology, literature, and symbolic imagery to explore modern anxieties, fractured perception, and how humans create meaning through the stories they repeat.
Dara’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dtheodorabrew/
Dara’s blog ::https://daratheodora.com/2017/11/01/mysterious-gesture/
Further reading: Lazzeri, Davide, Fabio Nicoli, and Yi Xin Zhang. "Secret hand gestures in paintings." Acta Bio Medica: Atenei Parmensis 90.4 (2019): 526. https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v90i4.7134
