Secret Hand Gestures in Paintings (2019)

Why this paper is on NIH/NCBI

• Several comments explain it’s in PubMed Central because it appeared in a biomedical journal that qualifies for the repository.
• The medical angle is syndactyly: the gesture superficially mimics fused fingers, and the paper notes paintings show it more often than medical records suggest.

Proposed explanations for the gesture

• Medical: an “epidemic of syndactyly” is broadly rejected, including in the paper.
• Secret codes: crypto‑Jewish sign, Masonic code, or other esoteric/secret-society symbols are discussed; some find these ideas fascinating but unsubstantiated.
• Symbolic: suggestions include Hebrew letters (e.g., shin), Latin letters (M or W), or Christian theology parallels to other hand signs (dual nature of Christ, Trinity).
• Artistic convention: many see it as a stylistic device that spread by copying “the masters,” making hands more visually interesting and asymmetrical.
• Natural pose: multiple commenters report their own relaxed hands often group the middle fingers; others propose anatomical and posture-based reasons (wrist rotation, nerve distribution, writing or painting habits).

Comparisons to other gesture traditions

• Religious gestures (two-finger blessings, three-finger Trinity sign) are cited as parallels in Christian art and ritual.
• Indian mudras and modern coded gestures (Korean feminist sign, repurposed “OK” sign, gang signs) are used as analogies for how ordinary poses can acquire hidden or politicized meanings.

Critiques of the paper

• Many find it poorly argued: weak methods, little quantitative analysis, rapid dismissal of alternative hypotheses.
• Language quality (grammar, apparent translation issues) and internal inconsistencies are criticized.
• Some feel the piece belongs more to art history than biomedicine; others enjoy it as light, speculative humanities work despite its sloppiness.