Gesture Collection (#100)

Charles-Antoine Coypel 1
CHARLES-ANTOINE COYPEL French artist : a fine portrait with expressive hands... Date: 1694 - 1752

Gladstone with Sailors
WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE Addressing the officers and crew of the Grantully Castle

Brougham / Wright / Wivell
HENRY, 1ST BARON BROUGHAM British MP and lawyer Speaking in the House of Lords during the trial of Queen Caroline Date: 1778 - 1868

Hyde Park Parade Dress
Winter dress for promenading in Hyde Park: crimson pelisse & toque trimmed with ermine worn with a white muslin dress, crimson slippers & tan gloves. Date: 1808

Posada, Illustration, The Adventures of Don Chepito
Illustration, The Adventures of Don Chepito -- Don Chepito addressing people in the street from a cart. Date: circa 1890s

Baby playing with pebbles, looking rather thoughtful. Date: circa 1960s

Boy in brown velvet suit on a New Year card
Boy in a brown velvet suit on a New Year card. Date: circa 1890s

French Theatre -- Les Sobres Sotz
Les Sobres Sotz (The Sober Fools), a farce, showing a fool, Le Badin, in yellow and green motley. Date: 16th century

French Theatre -- Le Chevalier
Le Chevalier qui donna sa Femme au Dyable (The Knight who gave his Wife to the Devil) -- a mystery play. Showing the Knight in armour and a cloak, with his arm raised in a declamatory gesture

Boy in policemans uniform in a garden, pretending to direct traffic. Date: circa 1920s

WW1 - Cartoon - Britain joins her allies
WW1 - Two soldiers meeting during battle and are shown shaking hands. The illustration and gesture symbolises Great Britain joining her allies on the field. Date: 1914

Two boys playing on a Balham street, SW London, both sticking out their tongues at someone. Date: circa 1961

Four children playing on a Balham street, SW London. One boy seems to be blowing a raspberry at a girl wearing Girl Guides uniform. Date: circa 1961

Robert de Eglesfield, English clergyman
Robert de Eglesfield (c.1295-1349), English clergyman, founder of Queens College Oxford in 1341 and chaplain to Queen Philippa of Hainault. Date: circa 1340s

Eva Peron giving a speech to graduate students
Eva Peron (Maria Eva Duarte de Peron, 1919-1952), wife of the Argentinian President, giving a speech to graduate students at the Juan Peron High School

Scouting leader speaking at campfire event, Mauritius
A scouting leader speaking to girl guides and boy scouts at a campfire event in Mauritius. Date: 1960s

Plimsoll line stops coffin ships, 1873
Comment in Punch magazine on the lifesaving introduction of the Plimsoll line. Overcrowded coffin ships are portrayed literally in the background as floating coffins with masts and rigging. Date: 1873

Winston Churchill addressing meeting in Birmingham
Winston Churchill (1874-1965) - British statesman and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Seen here addressing a meeting at the Birmingham Town Hall (along with Lord Hugh Cecil)

Sportsmans Battalions, 1915
An advertisement for sportsmans battalions, featuring a despatch rider on a Douglas motor cycle, pointing urgently to some smoking ruins

Canadian scout with Kings Scout certificate
Canadian scout, Bryan Peterkin, with his Kings Scout certificate

Wolseley at Myat-Toons stronghold, Burma, 1853
Sir Garnet Wolseley(1833-1913) as a young officer in the British army, storming Myat-Toons stronghold, Burma, February 1853

David Penhaligon, Cornish MP
David Charles Penhaligon (1944-1986), Cornish Liberal MP, seen here giving a speech

A wasted life: satire on the invention of tanks, WW1
Kaiser Wilhelm II chides Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, German general and aircraft manufacturer, for not inventing anything useful, like the armoured tanks of the allies. Date: 1916

Lifeboatmen, c1870
Three lifeboatmen scan the horizon for seafarers in peril. Date: c.1870

Captain Robert Hook, lifeboatman
Coxswain Robert William Hook (1828 -1911) of the Lowestoft lifeboat Samuel Plimsoll, the saviour of more than 200 lives. Pictured here at Lowestoft harbour entrance in 1883, in a heroic pose

Butchers shop, 1850
A curious social scene outside a butchers shop, 1850. A Victorian man gestures towards a rather suprised looking matrons basket of carrots

Vehicle preceded by flag, 1883
A man precedes a steam vehicle waving a red flag, to warn road users of its presence and to enforce a speed limit, in keeping with the Locomotive or Red Flag Acts of Parliament

Anwar Sadat at a state dinner
Anwar Sadat of Egypt(1918-1981) at a state dinner in his honour, seated between Moshe Dayan(1915-1981) and the Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin(1913-1992)

Jewish Beds Burned
A German soldier stands proudly by a bonfire of beds taken from Jewish homes - a symbolic gesture warning Jews that they will no longer be tolerated in Poland. Date: 1939/1940

God enters covenant Noah next smoking pyre Noah kneels
Artokoloro

Christ right hand raised gesture blessing series
Artokoloro

Enoch family surrounding meal table holding hands
Artokoloro

Falstaff Mrs Ford Page Shakespeare Merry Wives
Artokoloro

Drawings Prints, Print, Christ child, seated, right, hand, raised, gesture, blessing
Drawings and Prints, Print, Christ as a child, seated, right hand raised in gesture of blessing, surrounded by elaborate ornament, Artist, Anonymous, Italian, 15th to 16th century, Anonymous

Singer Green ca 1884 Pastel light blue laid paper
Artokoloro

JOHN PAUL II (1920-2005). Pope, 1978-2005. Being welcomed by crowds during his visit to the United States, 4 October 1979. Photographed by Thomas J. O Halloran

JOHN LLEWELLYN LEWIS (1880-1969). American labor leader. Lewis giving a speech denouncing wage and price reductions at the 35th Biennial Convention of the United Mine Workers in Washington, D.C. 1938

SUGAR RAY ROBINSON (1921-1989). Ne Walker Smith, Jr
SUGAR RAY ROBINSON (1921-1989). N Walker Smith, Jr. American boxer. Robinson being held aloft by other boxers after a win. Photograph, 1965

Picture No. 11770414
Cat kitten in basket in garden Date:

Picture No. 11770412
Cat in basket with flowers Date:

Picture No. 11769172
Polar Bear cub with heart shaped nose Digital Manipulation: Nose colour Date:

Picture No. 11768914
CAT - Ginger and white cat standing on it back legs with paw in the air shock / surprised expression Digital Manipulation: Head from JD-25498 Date:

Picture No. 11768761
Snowman with Christmas jumper scarf and hat in winter snow scene Digital Manipukation: Hat & Jumper PAB Snowman MOR Snowman with Christmas jumper scarf

MORONI AND JOSEPH SMITH. The angel Moroni delivering the plates of the Book of Mormon to Joseph Smith in western New York, 1827. Lithograph, 1886

For sale as Licensed Images

Choose your image, Select your licence and Download the media

"Gestures: A Window into History and Culture" From Winston Churchill's iconic V for Victory sign to Fidel Castro's impassioned speeches, gestures have long played a significant role in shaping our world. They convey emotions, beliefs, and aspirations that transcend language barriers. In 1942, as the world was engulfed in war, Churchill's defiant gesture became a symbol of hope and resilience. In the realm of entertainment, Jackie Gleason and his fellow cast members from The Honeymooners immortalized their camaraderie through gestures captured in publicity photographs. These gestures spoke volumes about friendship and laughter shared on screen during the 1950s. Gestures also hold historical significance beyond politics and entertainment. Daniel Mendoza's lithograph showcases his boxing prowess while Sigmund Freud's signed photograph captures the enigmatic presence of one of psychology's greatest minds. Artistic expressions often find solace in gestures too. From Christ Pantocrator’s serene encaustic gaze to Nicolas Poussin’s poignant Et in Arcadia Ego painting, these works evoke deep contemplation through subtle hand movements. Religion is replete with meaningful gestures as well. George Whitefield passionately preaching at Moorfields Fair or Fred Astaire gracefully dancing alongside Ginger Rogers demonstrate how body language can inspire faith or captivate audiences with its elegance. Beyond Western culture lies an array of diverse traditions represented by Zeus/Jupiter statues or Hindu goddess Durga sculptures adorning temples across India. Each gesture carries profound spiritual meaning within its cultural context. Lastly, Buddha’s statue from 1790 reminds us of enlightenment achieved through peaceful meditation—a timeless gesture that continues to resonate today. These glimpses into history remind us that they are not mere physical actions but powerful conduits for human expression—bridging gaps between cultures, transcending time itself—and reminding us all that sometimes words are simply not enough to convey what our hearts truly feel.