Chiroscript: Transcription System for Studying Hand Gestures in Early Modern Painting

Author(s)
Temenuzhka Dimova
Abstract

The main goal of this article is to introduce a new method for the analysis of depicted gestures in painting, namely a transcription system called chiroscript. Based on the model of transcription and annotation systems used in linguistics of co‑speech gestures and sign languages, it is intended to provide a more systematic and objective study of pictorial gestures, revealing their modes of combination inside chirographic accords. The place of chirograms (depicted hand gestures) within pictorial semiotics will be briefly discussed in order to better explain why a transcription system is very much needed and how it could expand art historical perspectives. Pictorial gestures form an understudied language‑like system which has the potential to increase the intelligibility of paintings. We argue that even though transcription is not a common practice in art history, it may contribute and even transform semiotic analyses of figurative paintings.

Organisation(s)
Vienna Cognitive Science Hub
Journal
ARTS
Volume
12
No. of pages
20
ISSN
2076-0752
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/arts12040179
Publication date
08-2023
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
604019 Art history, 602043 Semiotics
Keywords
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/chiroscript-transcription-system-for-studying-hand-gestures-in-early-modern-painting(2ba4af3f-06e2-4bfb-aae4-a329b81fd52a).html